With the development, Microsoft is raising the stakes in what is set to be the next big technological contest.

Microsoft says it has developed a breakthrough quantum processor based on a new state of matter, giving it a clear path to achieve quantum computing’s long-term promise of solving some of the world’s most difficult problems.

Traditional quantum computing needs intricate and cumbersome procedures to control each and every qubit. However, with Microsoft’s approach, manipulating a qubit is as simple as flipping a light switch using simple voltage pulses. This marks a paradigm shift in how quantum systems are designed and scaled.