Contested quantum study updated but questions remain

Science lifts warning on paper claiming evidence of Majorana quasiparticles.
A corrected quantum study on Majorana particles still divides researchers over its validity.

A controversial study that once claimed evidence of elusive Majorana quasiparticles has received a 20-page correction in Science five years after its publication.

The paper, led by researchers in Copenhagen and affiliated with Microsoft, originally described signals from nanowires that were said to match those expected from Majoranas, exotic entities believed to be useful for quantum computing due to their resistance to noise.

Independent investigators concluded that, although the data selection was narrow, no misconduct occurred. The omitted data did not invalidate the main claims, but raised concerns about transparency and selection bias in reporting.

The authors argue the correction merely clarifies their methods. Yet the wider research community remains divided, and no group has successfully replicated the findings. Some experts now see the approach as too fragile for practical use in quantum computing.

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