Microsoft lets DARPA test Majorana 2 chip at DC center
Microsoft is teaming up with DARPA (the US military's research agency) to let it directly test Microsoft's latest quantum computing system.
This all happens at a brand-new research center near Washington, D.C. featuring Microsoft's Majorana 2 chip, so instead of remote demos, DARPA gets hands-on access to the hardware.
DARPA testing supports Microsoft 2029 plans
The new center means DARPA can run in-depth tests and really put the tech through its paces, from custom experiments to full boot-ups.
Microsoft says this partnership helps bring real engineering discipline to its quantum project, with hopes of having commercial quantum systems ready by 2029.
As Zulfi Alam, corporate vice president of Microsoft Quantum, puts it, "This is a big deal for us because it essentially enables DARPA to kick the tires and to sort of figure out how good this machine is and how it's performing."