Microsoft says it has developed a breakthrough quantum processor based on a new state of matter, giving it a clear path to achieve quantum computing’s long-term promise of solving some of the world’s most difficult problems.

Microsoft has introduced Majorana 1, a quantum chip with a "Topological Core" architecture, potentially enabling powerful quantum computers within years instead of decades. The breakthrough stems from a newly developed material called a topoconductor,

The processor uses qubits that can be measured without error and are resistant to outside interference, which the company says marks a “transformative leap toward practical quantum computing.”