Microsoft has announced what it claims is the first topological qubit, a significant development in the quest for robust quantum computing. However, some experts are questioning the validity of the claim due to the lack of peer-reviewed research supporting it.
According to Microsoft, researchers at the company’s Azure Quantum team have made a major breakthrough in creating a device that can encode superpositions of 1 and 0, which is essential for quantum computing. The topological qubit is said to provide built-in error protection against the errors that currently restrict what quantum computers can achieve.
But experts are skeptical about the claim, with some arguing that it was not adequately supported by peer-reviewed research. Philip Ball, an expert in physics, notes that “in academia, you shouldn’t make claims that aren’t supported by a peer-reviewed publication.”
Scott Aaronson, a computer scientist at the University of Texas at Austin, agrees, stating that “the press release speaks differently” than what is contained in the published paper.
Microsoft’s leader on Azure Quantum, Chetan Nayak, says that the evidence for the topological qubit was obtained after the submission of the paper and will be presented at a future conference. However, some experts are concerned that the press release may create unrealistic expectations about what quantum computers can achieve.
Winfried Hensinger, a physicist at the University of Sussex, notes that “the peer-reviewed publication is quite clear that it contains no proof for topological qubits.” He adds that “we don’t need to make these claims – that’s just unhealthy and will really hurt the field.”
Despite the controversy surrounding Microsoft’s claim, researchers are supportive of the company’s efforts to produce a topological quantum computer. Aaronson says he is grateful that at least one player has stuck with the topological approach, despite its challenges.
The development of a topological qubit is seen as crucial for scaling up quantum computers and overcoming the errors that currently limit their capabilities. With over 160 researchers from Microsoft’s Azure Quantum team involved in the project, this milestone marks an important step forward for the field of quantum computing.
Source: https://physicsworld.com/a/experts-weigh-in-on-microsofts-topological-qubit-claim