DARPA Gains Hands-On Access to Microsoft Quantum Hardware
Microsoft has opened its doors to DARPA, giving them direct access to its proprietary quantum hardware. The tech giant's 15,000-square-foot research facility in Maryland's Discovery District is dedicated to evaluating Microsoft's Majorana 2 chip.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency will initially test the system using Microsoft's topological approach, which aims to reduce resources needed for error correction.
Zulfi Alam, corporate vice president of Microsoft Quantum, stated that this evaluation 'enforces a certain amount of engineering rigor' and allows DARPA to determine how good the machine is and how it performs.
The evaluation will be conducted by specialists from various organizations, including the Air Force Research Laboratory, the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, and four national laboratories.