On February 19th, 2025, Microsoft Quantum wrote an article in Nature about the latest developments in measuring the quantum devices required to create a topological quantum computer.
Tyler Lindemann, a researcher in the Microsoft Quantum Lab West Lafayette and a Purdue University doctoral student, uses a molecular beam epitaxy system to create hybrid superconductor-semiconductor structures. Image Credit: Charles Jischke/Purdue University
Microsoft scientists and engineers who work at Purdue University's Microsoft Quantum Lab West Lafayette are among the authors of this study. In a Microsoft Quantum announcement, the team explains how a crucial gadget functions as a key component of a topological quantum computer.
The discoveries published mark a significant advancement in the development of quantum computers that may outperform current technology in terms of strength and capability.
Our hope for quantum computation is that it will aid chemists, materials scientists and engineers working on the design and manufacturing of new materials that are so important to our daily lives. The promise of quantum computation is in accelerating scientific discovery and its translation into useful technology. For example, if quantum computers reduce the time and cost to produce new lifesaving therapeutic drugs, that is real societal impact.
Michael J. Manfra, Bill and Dee O’Brien Distinguished Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Purdue University
The intricately layered materials that comprise the quantum plane of the entire device architecture utilized in the experiments were developed by the Microsoft Quantum Lab West Lafayette team. Experts in cutting-edge semiconductor growth methods, such as molecular beam epitaxy, Microsoft scientists collaborate with Manfra to construct low-dimensional electron systems, which serve as the foundation for quantum bits, or qubits.
With atomic-level accuracy, they built the semiconductor and superconductor layers, fine-tuning the material's properties to align with the device architecture's requirements.
Manfra, a member of the Purdue Quantum Science and Engineering Institute, attributed the advancements at Microsoft Quantum Lab West Lafayette to the close partnership between Purdue and Microsoft that was developed over a ten-year period. With a multiyear deal in 2017, Purdue strengthened its ties with Microsoft by integrating Microsoft staff members with Manfra's Purdue research team.
Manfra added, “This was a collaborative effort by a very sophisticated team, with a vital contribution from the Microsoft scientists at Purdue. It is a Microsoft team achievement, but it’s also the culmination of a long-standing partnership between Purdue and Microsoft. It wouldn’t have been possible without an environment at Purdue that was conducive to this mode of work — I attempted to blend industrial with academic research to the betterment of both communities. I think that’s a success story.”
A key component of the Purdue Computes project, which aims to advance research in computing, physical artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and quantum technologies, is quantum science and engineering.
This research breakthrough in the measurement of the state of quasi particles is a milestone in the development of topological quantum computing, and creates a watershed moment in the semiconductor-superconductor hybrid structure. Marking also the latest success in the strategic initiative of Purdue Computes, the deep collaboration that Professor Manfra and his team have created with the Microsoft Quantum Lab West Lafayette on the Purdue campus exemplifies the most impactful industry research partnership at any American university today.
Mung Chiang, President, Purdue University
The majority of quantum computer encoding techniques use local degrees of freedom. One well-known example of a qubit is the spin of an electron. However, a single spin can be disturbed by very ordinary phenomena like heat, vibrations, or interactions with other quantum particles. This can make it difficult to detect and fix problems since it can damage the quantum information stored in the qubit.
Topological quantum computers use a more distributed approach to information storage than spin; the qubit state is encoded in the state of several particles working together. As a result, it is more difficult to jumble the information, as changing the qubit state requires changing the states of every particle.
The Microsoft team measured the state of the quasi particles that make up the qubit with speed and accuracy in the Nature study.
“The device is used to measure a basic property of a topological qubit quickly. The team is excited to build on these positive results,” Manfra added.
“The team in West Lafayette pushed existing epitaxial technology to a new state-of-the-art for semiconductor-superconductor hybrid structures to ensure a perfect interface between each of the building blocks of the Microsoft hybrid system,” stated Sergei Gronin, a Microsoft Quantum Lab scientist.
Gronin stated, “The materials quality that is required for quantum computing chips necessitates constant improvements, so that’s one of the biggest challenges. First, we had to adjust and improve semiconductor technology to meet a new level that nobody was able to achieve before. But equally important was how to create this hybrid system. To do that, we had to merge a semiconducting part and a superconducting part. And that means you need to perfect the semiconductor and the superconductor and perfect the interface between them.”
Even though the work covered in the Nature article was completed by Microsoft staff, Purdue students in Manfra’s academic group also have a fantastic opportunity to be exposed to industrial-scale research and development. The study’s coauthors, John Watson, Geoffrey Gardner, and Saeed Fallahi, all received their doctorates from Manfra and are currently employed by Microsoft Quantum in Redmond, Washington, and Copenhagen, Denmark.
The majority of Manfra's former pupils are currently employed by Microsoft and other quantum computing firms. Under Manfra’s guidance, Tyler Lindemann, a lab employee in West Lafayette who contributed to the construction of the hybrid semiconductor-superconductor structures needed for the device, is pursuing a doctorate at Purdue.
Working in Professor Manfra’s lab in conjunction with my work for Microsoft Quantum has given me a head start in my professional development, and been fruitful for my academic work. At the same time, many of the world-class scientists and engineers at Microsoft Quantum have some background in academia, and being able to draw from their knowledge and experience is an indispensable resource in my graduate studies. From both perspectives, it’s a great opportunity.
Tyler Lindemann, PhD Student, Purdue University
Journal Reference:
Microsoft Azure Quantum., et. al. (2025) Interferometric single-shot parity measurement in InAs–Al hybrid devices. Nature. doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-08445-2