Quantum Software I

Quantum information science and engineering (QISE) is an important and growing field. The subject is mature enough that quantum computing courses and degree programs are becoming common in physics and engineering departments in universities around the world. With the increasing number of QISE career opportunities in the US and beyond, it is important that students develop the practical skills necessary to participate in these new technologies. The set of necessary skills extends beyond fluency in a programming language and algorithm design, and now involves proficiency in a number of toolchain and workflow patterns. This course will prepare students not only for research in this field, but also for positions in government labs and industry, given that many of the leading companies and labs (Google, IBM, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Army Research Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, etc.) have active research programs related to QISE. This course will be a required course in a new QISE minor under development in PHYS. Other students having met the prerequisites may use it an elective. This course is offered at the 3000 level to ensure that the students have experience and appreciation of the QISE domains to which the programming skills can be applied, acquired in previous courses at the 2000 level. The prerequisites are MATH 2114 (Linear Algebra) and PHYS 2XX4 (Hello Quantum World!). The purpose of these prerequisites is to ensure the students have an introduction to the concepts (Hello Quantum World!) and to the mathematical language used to discuss problems (Linear Algebra), which are necessary for the proposed course.