Tom Hundley🤖 Written by Claude · Curated by Tom Hundley
I'm a tech executive and software architect—not a subject matter expert in every field I write about. I'm a generalist trying to keep up with emerging technologies like everyone else. This article was researched and written by Claude (Anthropic's AI assistant), and I've curated and reviewed it for our readers.
Three tech giants made quantum computing history in the past year. Each breakthrough solves a different piece of the puzzle—and together, they're accelerating the quantum future.
Something remarkable happened in quantum computing between late 2024 and early 2025. Three separate breakthroughs—from Google, Microsoft, and IBM—each addressed different fundamental challenges that had blocked progress for decades.
These aren't incremental improvements. They're the kind of advances that rewrite textbooks and timelines. Let's break down what actually happened and why it matters.
In December 2024, Google unveiled Willow, a 105-qubit quantum processor. The headlines focused on a stunning benchmark: Willow solved a problem in under 5 minutes that would take the world's fastest classical supercomputer approximately 10^25 years—that's 10 septillion years, far longer than the universe has existed.
But the benchmark wasn't the real breakthrough. The real breakthrough was what made that benchmark possible: exponential error suppression.
Here's the fundamental challenge of quantum computing, explained simply:
Qubits—the building blocks of quantum computers—are incredibly fragile. They're easily disturbed by temperature fluctuations, vibrations, electromagnetic interference, even cosmic rays. When disturbed, they make errors.
Scientists knew the solution in theory: use multiple physical qubits working together to create one more reliable "logical qubit." It's like using multiple people to remember a phone number—if one person forgets a digit, the others can correct them.
The problem? For years, adding more qubits often added more errors, not fewer. The system got noisier, not cleaner. This created a catch-22: you needed more qubits for useful computation, but more qubits meant more errors.
Google's Willow crossed what scientists call the "threshold"—the point where adding more qubits actually reduces overall error rates. As Google explains: "The more physical qubits used, the lower the overall error rate."
This is the breakthrough researchers had pursued for nearly 30 years. It means:
Google didn't stop there. In October 2025, they demonstrated "Quantum Echoes"—the first-ever verifiable quantum advantage using a practical algorithm (the out-of-order time correlator, or OTOC). Willow ran this algorithm 13,000 times faster than the best classical algorithm on one of the world's fastest supercomputers.
The key word is "verifiable." Unlike previous quantum advantage claims that required trusting the quantum computer's output, this result could be independently checked.
In February 2025, Microsoft announced Majorana 1—the world's first quantum processor using "topological qubits." While Google and IBM build qubits from superconducting circuits, Microsoft has spent over a decade pursuing an entirely different approach based on exotic particles called Majorana fermions.
Ettore Majorana was an Italian physicist who, in 1937, predicted the existence of particles that are their own antiparticle. These "Majorana particles" remained purely theoretical for decades—no one had ever created or observed them.
Microsoft bet their quantum computing program on these theoretical particles. Why? Because of a remarkable property: Majorana particles could make qubits that are inherently protected from errors.
Imagine you have a piece of string with a knot in it. You can shake the string, twist it, even pull on it—but the knot remains. The information "there is a knot" is protected by the topology (the fundamental structure) of the string, not by keeping the string perfectly still.
Topological qubits work similarly. The quantum information is encoded in the arrangement of Majorana particles, not in their precise physical state. This makes the information naturally resistant to the small disturbances that plague other qubit types.
As Microsoft explains: "Majorana particles split an electron into two separate locations. Both locations need to be disturbed simultaneously to change the qubit, reducing the chances of disruption."
The key innovation was creating a "topoconductor"—a revolutionary class of materials that enables topological superconductivity, a state of matter that previously existed only in theory.
Microsoft's team combined indium arsenide (a semiconductor) with aluminum (a superconductor) in precisely engineered nanowires. When cooled to near absolute zero and tuned with magnetic fields, these devices form the exotic quantum states needed for topological qubits.
Topological qubits offer a fundamentally different path to quantum computing:
| Traditional Qubits (Google, IBM) | Topological Qubits (Microsoft) |
|---|---|
| Fight errors with more qubits | Resist errors by design |
| Proven, but scaling is complex | Unproven at scale, but potentially simpler |
| Requires massive error correction | May need less error correction |
| Near-term applications possible | Longer road to practical systems |
Microsoft's Majorana 1 currently has just 8 qubits—far fewer than Google's 105 or IBM's latest processors. But if topological qubits scale as hoped, Microsoft believes they could achieve practical quantum computing "in years, not decades."
It's worth noting that Microsoft's claims have generated debate. The peer-reviewed Nature paper proves they created Majorana Zero Modes—a major achievement. But the full roadmap to practical topological quantum computing still has many unproven steps.
This is how science works: breakthrough claims get scrutinized, tested, and refined. Microsoft has been selected for DARPA's US2QC program (Underexplored Systems for Utility-Scale Quantum Computing), where their approach will face rigorous benchmarking.
At their annual quantum conference in November 2025, IBM announced several major developments:
While Google focuses on pushing raw performance benchmarks and Microsoft bets on topological qubits, IBM has emphasized practical accessibility and systematic scaling.
IBM has made quantum computing available via cloud services since 2016. Thousands of organizations have run experiments on IBM quantum systems. This practical experience shapes their approach:
IBM's Starling system, targeted for 2029, represents a concrete milestone: 200 logical qubits running 100 million error-corrected operations. This would enable:
This isn't a theoretical projection—it's an engineering target with specific performance benchmarks.
In September 2025, Caltech researchers created the largest qubit array ever: 6,100 cesium atoms trapped by splitting a laser beam into 12,000 parts. These qubits stayed in superposition for 13 seconds—ten times longer than previous arrays.
This approach—using neutral atoms rather than superconducting circuits—offers another potential path to large-scale quantum computing.
China has invested heavily in quantum computing. While specific details are harder to verify, Chinese researchers have announced systems with hundreds of qubits and continue to publish significant quantum computing research.
Each breakthrough addresses a different challenge:
| Breakthrough | Challenge Addressed | Implication |
|---|---|---|
| Google Willow | Error correction scaling | We can build bigger, more powerful systems |
| Microsoft Majorana 1 | Inherently stable qubits | A potential shortcut to fault tolerance |
| IBM Nighthawk/Starling | Practical roadmap | Clear path from today to useful systems |
| Caltech Array | Qubit count and coherence | Alternative approaches remain viable |
Together, they suggest we're not dependent on a single approach succeeding. Multiple paths to practical quantum computing are advancing simultaneously.
These breakthroughs have compressed timelines significantly:
2025-2027: Hybrid quantum-classical applications emerge
2028-2030: Broader commercial applications
2030-2035: Large-scale fault-tolerant systems
The next 12-24 months will see:
2024-2025 marks a turning point in quantum computing. The fundamental challenges that seemed insurmountable a few years ago are being solved. Multiple approaches are advancing. Investment is accelerating.
This doesn't mean quantum computers will replace your laptop tomorrow. But it does mean the technology is transitioning from "interesting science" to "strategic business consideration."
The organizations that start preparing now—understanding the technology, experimenting with quantum cloud services, preparing their cryptography for the post-quantum era—will have a significant advantage when these breakthroughs translate into practical applications.
The quantum revolution isn't coming. It's here.
Staying ahead of emerging technologies is essential for business competitiveness. At Elegant Software Solutions, we help organizations understand and prepare for technological transformations. Contact us to discuss your quantum readiness.
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