Microsoft Accelerates Quantum Leap with Majorana Qubits and Chemistry Breakthroughs
A decades-long research effort yields industry-first advances in quantum chemistry, opening doors for materials, energy, and pharma sectors
The next chapter in quantum computing is no longer a speculative horizon.
Microsoft has entered a new era of scalable quantum capability, underscored by a successful effort to fabricate a topological qubit using Majorana particles—a theoretical milestone previously elusive to physicists and engineers alike.
This move is significant for scientific reasons and promises to unlock enormous commercial applications, especially in chemistry and materials science.
“It is very hard to compute all the electronic interactions between various electrons,” said Zulfi Alam, Corporate Vice President of Microsoft Quantum. “Simulating that the right way is super hard, so we find it a signature use case.”
Microsoft is using this momentum to emphasize early-stage partnerships, focusing on enabling industries to program quantum algorithms well before hardware reaches broad availability.
While many in the industry continue to ask when quantum ROI (return on investment) will materialize, Microsoft believes the time to prepare is now. The company has declared 2028 as its target to deliver a fault-tolerant quantum prototype, aiming to position itself at the forefront of the quantum economy.
Alam’s career at Microsoft spans over 25 years, a trajectory that began with the original Xbox and moved through pioneering efforts in HoloLens.
“I always found myself at the cutting edge of technology where a product is trying to come to life,” he explained.
Quantum computing, the latest of these frontier pursuits, was initially handed to Alam as a research-to-product transition challenge.
“Five years ago, the mission was: this thing is ready to graduate from research, and we need to build a product out of it,” he said.
Microsoft’s quantum program is the company’s longest-running research initiative, spanning 17 years. Now, the theoretical groundwork is translating into tangible advances.
Partnering for Ecosystem Growth
Microsoft’s platform ethos remains central to its quantum strategy. It actively collaborates with quantum hardware startups such as Photonic, Atom Computing, and Quantinuum, seeking to bolster a cooperative environment.
“The DNA of Microsoft is to be a platform company,” Alam said. “There is a fundamental belief that all boats rise together.”
This belief underscores Microsoft’s approach to partnership—building an ecosystem in which diverse quantum technologies and talents can thrive collectively.
The company also emphasizes the hybrid nature of current quantum systems, where quantum algorithms are integrated into classical computing environments. These hybrids are already generating early returns in unexpected domains.
Alam shared these perspectives at the Commercialising Quantum Global 2025 event, organized by The Economist on May 13 in London. The conference brought together leading voices in the quantum community to discuss the technological, business, and policy pathways to quantum readiness.
Breakthroughs in Chemistry and Batteries
Quantum algorithms are proving most impactful in chemistry, where Microsoft has recently discovered a novel electrolyte for dual-ion batteries.
“It’s a molecule that didn’t exist,” said Alam.
Though not a chemistry firm, Microsoft considers this breakthrough a signal of quantum computing’s transformative potential.
In another ongoing project, the company has reportedly made progress in designing a new PFAS-free coolant for its large-scale data centers, again using quantum algorithms. PFAS (per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances) are a class of synthetic chemicals widely used for their heat and water resistance, but are increasingly linked to environmental and health concerns.
Developing an alternative coolant that eliminates PFAS while maintaining high performance is a significant stride in sustainable technology. Microsoft sees this as a demonstration of quantum's problem-solving power and an alignment with broader environmental responsibility goals.
Both examples highlight quantum computing's capacity to solve problems that have stymied classical methods for decades.
Microsoft believes that high-compute, low-data problems are ideal initial targets for quantum advantage. This includes materials discovery, drug design with metal-based compounds, and other complex simulation challenges.
A New Type of Qubit
The Majorana chip, named after the mysterious Italian physicist Ettore Majorana, is at the core of Microsoft’s hardware development.
After years of material science challenges, the company has succeeded in developing new "top conductors" that enable the creation and manipulation of these elusive quasiparticles.
The topoconductor, or topological superconductor, is a special material category that can create an entirely new state of matter, not a solid, liquid, or gas, but a topological state. This unique property makes it especially suitable for supporting stable quantum states required for reliable computation.
“We were able to come up with the right fabrication recipes to build this new type of material,” said Alam. “The resulting topological qubits are digitally controlled. Everything is a zero or a one. You open gates, close gates, connect Majoranas, or do not connect them. It’s a highly scalable system.”
This architectural choice opens the door to tapping into decades of semiconductor research, which could give Microsoft a speed and scale advantage as it moves toward commercial quantum deployment.
The U.S. government has taken notice. Microsoft is one of only two companies selected by the federal government to advance this technology tree, reflecting growing confidence in the platform's potential.
Preparing Enterprises for Quantum
Microsoft has launched a “Quantum Ready” program to help enterprises start developing quantum applications ahead of hardware maturity. Alam draws an analogy to his previous experience in gaming.
“A triple-A game (a high-budget, high-profile video game) takes three years and hundreds of millions to build,” he said. Quantum programming, likewise, requires long lead times.
This program aims to accelerate software development timelines, focusing on industries like materials, energy, and pharmaceuticals.
“You don’t want to start writing software on the hardware once it’s available,” Alam warned. “You need to start writing code now.”
The guidance is clear: prepare early, invest in algorithm development, and build technical fluency before the hardware reaches scalability. Microsoft believes this dual-track evolution—software and hardware co-development—is essential to unlocking practical value.
Scaling Through Collective Innovation
Looking further ahead, Alam called for a more unified, collaborative approach to quantum progress.
“Right now, because of hyper-nationalism, things are changing dramatically,” he said.
He believes the field will require the “best minds to do all kinds of work together.” Echoing the spirit of the Apollo Program, he proposed a shared global vision for quantum computing.
“This is just going to be like the program that sent the astronauts to the moon,” he said.
As geopolitical tensions mount and research increasingly siloed, Microsoft is positioning itself as a catalyst for international collaboration.
With scientific, industrial, and governmental momentum now coalescing around its quantum platform, Microsoft’s bet is clear: that collaboration, computation, and chemistry are the pillars of a quantum-enabled future.