Microsoft presented Majorana 1 on 19 February 2025 as a step in its research into topological quantum computing. It is exciting hardware research, but it is not a new microcontroller, an ordinary CPU or a chip you can put into an IoT project.
What was presented?
Microsoft describes an architecture based on topological qubits and special semiconductor/superconductor structures. Its long-term aim is to build scalable, fault-tolerant quantum computers. A target for future scaling is not the same as the demonstrated capacity of a finished machine.
Read Microsoft’s dated announcement and the research it references. Distinguish the manufacturer’s announcements, published measurements and independent verification.
Qubits are not ordinary bits
A conventional microcontroller processes digital values and controls GPIO, timers and communication ports, for example. A quantum processor uses controlled quantum states in computations. It needs a very different physical system and surrounding classical control electronics. Quantum computing is therefore not a direct replacement for an ESP32 or Raspberry Pi.
What does this mean for IoT?
Majorana 1 does not in itself demonstrate ultra-low sensor power consumption, an integrated hardware root of trust or quantum-safe encryption for ordinary IoT devices. The previous version of this post attributed such features to the chip without evidence; those claims have been removed.
For a practical IoT product, sound power supplies, known component specifications, updatable firmware, protected keys and appropriate network security remain the relevant choices. Post-quantum cryptography is also a separate field: algorithms designed to resist particular quantum attacks can run on classical computers.
Build something you can measure
To learn more about processors, start with a development board, a sensor and a repeatable measurement. Compare power consumption, measurement accuracy and communication. That curiosity is also part of the research that may eventually lead to entirely new kinds of computers.
