After 17 years of research, Microsoft has finally developed the Majorana 1 chip, its first quantum computing processor based on a brand-new material and architecture, reports The Verge. At the heart of a quantum computer are quantum bits (qubits),

There's a type of particle called a Majorana fermion that was hypothesized in 1937. This particle has some unique properties, and it's long been theorized that Majorana particles could prove useful for quantum computing.

Microsoft team led by UC Santa Barbara physicists unveils first-of-its-kind topological qubit, paving the way for a more fault-tolerant quantum computer