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Microsoft Unveils Majorana 2 Chip, Defends Topological Qubit Amid Critique

6/25/2026

Summary

Microsoft Defends Chip

Microsoft announced the Majorana 2 chip on June 2, promising a scalable quantum computer by 2029.
Henry Legg of St Andrews posted a March 11 2025 arXiv critique and a June 24 2026 Nature claim the data could reflect quantum-dot formation rather than a topological qubit.
Chetan Nayak, Microsoft’s Fellow, replied in Nature that the measurements support a topological qubit, passed DARPA evaluation, and that Microsoft “100 % stands behind” its results despite Legg’s allegation.

Summary

Trump Funds Quantum

President Donald Trump has earmarked $2 billion for quantum research and set a 2028 target for a quantum system.
Microsoft is giving its quantum data to DARPA for independent review while keeping some details commercially sensitive.
IBM, Google and Quantinuum are developing quantum hardware with conventional methods instead of the Majorana approach.
The quantum market, multi-billion-dollar despite few functional devices, faces credibility concerns after two Microsoft-backed papers were retracted from Nature.

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Microsoft Defends Chip

Microsoft announced the Majorana 2 chip on June 2, promising a scalable quantum computer by 2029.
Henry Legg of St Andrews posted a March 11 2025 arXiv critique and a June 24 2026 Nature claim the data could reflect quantum-dot formation rather than a topological qubit.
Chetan Nayak, Microsoft’s Fellow, replied in Nature that the measurements support a topological qubit, passed DARPA evaluation, and that Microsoft “100 % stands behind” its results despite Legg’s allegation.

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