Microsoft Opens Quantum Computing Research Center in Maryland with DARPA Access
Microsoft has opened a new research center in Maryland in partnership with the University of Maryland and other industry partners. The center will house a quantum system using Microsoft's Majorana 2 chip, which will be made available for independent testing and evaluation by the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
This marks a shift from remote access to physical access in a dedicated DARPA space where experts can load hardware and run it through their own boot sequences. The arrangement aims to enforce engineering rigor as Microsoft moves towards commercializing its quantum computing technology.
Zulfi Alam, corporate vice president of Microsoft Quantum, stated that the deal with DARPA is 'a big deal' for Microsoft, enabling DARPA to evaluate the system's performance and determine whether it meets their requirements. The evaluation metric focuses on whether the value of computation performed by a quantum system outweighs its cost.
The center in Maryland will be built to swap in future chips developed by Microsoft, with plans to have commercial quantum systems ready by 2029. DARPA will initially focus on evaluating the Majorana 2 chip before potentially upgrading to newer models.