Microsoft is claiming to have created a topological qubit—something engineers have been trying to achieve for years.

I don’t understand the Majorana particle, topological qubits, or much else about Microsoft’s quantum computing breakthrough, but I am not alone in that. The Wall Street Journal covers the physics community’s questions,

By creating a new state of matter, Microsoft’s engineers have ensured their quantum computer is truly one-of-a-kind.

A possible new leap in quantum computing was announced this week when Microsoft’s Satya Nadella claimed he achieved a major breakthrough with its first chip, known as the Majorana 1 chip. The new leap will be the world’s first quantum chip powered by a new Topological Core architecture,