Dec 29, 2016 10:27 AM EST By Chris Brandt, UniversityHerald Reporter

There are times when reality is stranger than fiction. Sometimes they merge and you can't tell one from the other. And this is what Microsoft wants to do as it pursues its research on quantum computing - merge science and fiction.

Quantum computing is the stuff science fiction is made of where the electrons carry the information themselves; thus, they are one and zero at the same time.

If these dreams are realized, there will be a much better understanding of how physics work. More so, there will also be better designs that will advance artificial intelligence by leaps and bounds.

This is the reason why Microsoft has been pouring in billions to build a quantum computer. Where others were contented with research about the matter, Microsoft is taking matters into their own hands and is already braiding anyons, which will provide the building blocks to the supercomputer.

What are these anyons and how do they contribute to making quantum computing possible?

As mentioned above, electrons will both act as the carrier and storage of the information. The challenge, however, is how to 'tame' these exotic matter and wire them together. It takes a remarkable engineering achievement to make them stable because in reality, they fall apart in a matter of tens of microseconds.

Microsoft started their research on quantum computing since 2005 under the supervision of Michael Freedman. They set up a lab called Station Q which was solely devoted to quantum computing.

Todd Holmdahl, a veteran engineer and the director of Microsoft's effort towards this technology, said that they are already close to creating the basic building block that will enable them to create the supercomputer. Once they have that, Holmdahl said that they will have a road map that will allow them to go thousands of qubits.

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