Jia Jinfeng at a presentation explaining how his team captured the Majorana fermion, Shanghai, June 22, 2016. [Photo/IC]

Giant scientific projects may capture global headlines, but sometimes steps in the micro world too can leave a big mark. Here we take a look at three major scientific breakthroughs achieved by Chinese scientists in 2016, which may usher in a brighter future.

Majorana fermion

If Majorana fermion fails to ring a bell then don't worry. It has been a mystery for 80 years until it was finally captured by a Chinese research team from Shanghai Jiaotong University just six months ago.

The calculation capability of the quantum computer has been widely praised as it can complete the calculation task of the fastest super computer within one second. But the current carriers of quantum bits can easily destroy if there is magnetic interference. Whereas Majorana fermions ensure better protection of information.

"When I first heard of Majorana fermion, I thought we might not find it within 20 years," said Jia Jinfeng, head of the research team.

But his team successfully observed its tracks for the first time in the magnetic field vortices of a superconductor last June, which made Jia more confident to bring a quantum computer into the world.

Jia Jinfeng at a presentation explaining how his team captured the Majorana fermion, Shanghai, June 22, 2016. [Photo/IC]

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