Read more at source.
Read more at source.
The controversy revolves around Microsoft's claim that it has constructed a topological qubit, a pattern of electrons on a tiny wire that is less prone to errors. However, the accompanying journal article pointed out that Microsoft had not conclusively demonstrated the formation of the Majorana zero modes, the signature pattern of the qubit. This is not the first time Microsoft has faced such skepticism; in 2021, the company had to retract a similar claim.
Microsoft spokesperson Craig Cincotta has responded to the skepticism by emphasizing that discourse and skepticism are part of the scientific process. He pointed to improvements since the publication of the journal article, with Microsoft claiming that their team has successfully controlled and measured a specific aspect of the qubit. Chetan Nayak, the leader of Microsoft's quantum team, also expressed confidence in the device despite the ongoing controversy.
Despite Microsoft's confidence, the skepticism from the scientific community remains. For instance, physicist Sergey Frolov of the University of Pittsburgh has dismissed the latest data presented by Microsoft as mere noise. The signal was hard to distinguish due to electrical noise, a fact acknowledged by Nayak during his presentation.
The controversy centers on Microsoft's February claim that it had built a new type of quantum hardware - a topological qubit, made from a pattern of electrons on a tiny wire. Microsoft claimed that the qubit is less prone to errors. That would make quantum computers easier to scale up to something big enough to actually be useful.
