--- title: "Microsoft Retracts Paper Claiming Quantum Computing Breakthrough" description: "A controversial 2018 research paper about the discovery of an elusive subatomic particle has been retracted by the reputable journal Nature." date: "2021-03-09" modified: "2021-03-09" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/microsoft-retracts-paper-claiming-quantum-computing-breakthrough" categories: - "Computing" - "Physics" - "Quantum Computing" - "Quantum Physics" - "Robots and Machines" - "Science & Energy" tags: - "fermions" - "quantum computer" - "quantum computing" --- # Microsoft Retracts Paper Claiming Quantum Computing Breakthrough ![A controversial 2018 research paper about the discovery of an elusive subatomic particle has been retracted by the reputable journal Nature.]() *\Image: Alexey Drjahlov \* A controversial 2018 research paper about the discovery of an elusive subatomic particle [has been retracted]() by the reputable journal *Nature*, the [*BBC* reports](). The team, led by researchers from Microsoft, claimed at the time to have discovered evidence of the "[Majorana particle]()," named after the famed 1930s Italian physicist Ettore Majorana. The particle, the researchers claimed, could make quantum computers less error prone. At the time of the discovery, the [finding was hailed as a breakthrough]() for the quantum computing field. But unfortunately, the researchers seemingly didn't do their homework. According to [the retraction]() published by the authors in *Nature*, the researchers "unnecessarily corrected" some data without clarifying, and mislabeled a graph, making it misleading. "We can therefore no longer claim the observation of a quantized Majorana conductance and wish to retract this," they wrote in *Nature*. "We apologize to the community for insufficient scientific rigor in our original manuscript." The team originally had proposed to create qubits, the equivalent of a single bit in a conventional binary computer, with the characteristics of Majorana particles, theoretical subatomic particles that have puzzled physicists for decades. In effect, their method would have created an entirely different way to create quantum computers, allowing for scaled down, next generation machines. But it wasn't meant to be. It now appears that the researchers did not in fact find evidence for the elusive particle. "I don’t know for sure what was in their heads," University of Pittsburgh professor Sergey Frolov who was not involved in the research, [told *Wired*](), "but they skipped some data that contradicts directly what was in the paper. From the fuller data, there’s no doubt that there’s no Majorana." Microsoft isn't dissuaded by the news. "We are confident that scaled quantum computing will help solve some of humanity’s greatest challenges, and we remain committed to our investments in quantum computing," read a statement from the company, as quoted by *Wired*. **READ MORE:** [Microsoft-led team retracts quantum 'breakthrough']() \[*BBC*\] **More on the research:** *[New Evidence for the Existence of this Theoretical Particle is a Step Towards Quantum Computing]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()