Microsoft lays out its path to useful quantum computing

Thus, the article describes how certain logical operations can be carried out relatively easily, while a few others require manipulation of the error correction scheme to operate. (These manipulations have names such as network surgery and distillation of the magic state, which are good signs that the field does not take itself that seriously.)

Thus, in short, Microsoft believes that it has identified a fairly compact error correction scheme, can be implemented effectively on the equipment that stores qubits in photons, atoms or trapped ions, and allows a universal calculation. What he did not do, however, is to show that it really works. And it’s because he just doesn’t have the equipment at the moment. Azure offers ion machines trapped with ionq and qannuum, but these are at the top of 56 qubits – well below the 96 necessary for their favorite version of these 4D codes. The largest to which it has access is a machine at 100 qubit of a company called Pasqal, which barely adapts to the 96 qubits necessary, leaving no room for error.

Although it should be possible to test smaller versions of codes in the same family, the Azure team has already demonstrated its ability to work with error correction codes based on hypercubes, so it is not clear if there is something to gain from this approach.

More atoms

Instead, he seems to wait for another partner, Atom Computing, to align his new generation machine, the one she designs in partnership with Microsoft. “This first generation that we build between the computer atom and Microsoft will include cutting -edge quantum capacities, will have 1,200 physical qubits,” said Svore, “then the next upgrade of this machine will have more than 10,000.