Microsoft unveils chip it says could bring quantum computing within years

Chip is powered by world’s first topoconductor, which can create new state of matter that is not solid, liquid or gas

Quantum computers could be built within years rather than decades, according to Microsoft, which has unveiled a breakthrough that it said could pave the way for faster development.

The tech firm has developed a chip which, it says, echoes the invention of the semiconductors that made today’s smartphones, computers and electronics possible by miniaturisation and increased processing power.

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