Methods in Quantum Computing
(Spring 2023)
Class (lecture + tutorial): Tuesday 3pm-6pm on Zoom
Office hours: Tuesday 6pm or by appointment using the same Zoom link
Assessment
The assessment will consist of 3 assignments and - problem sets, a group video project about exciting quantum technology, and a final project about quantum protocols. Bonus points can be earned at the discretion of the lecturer. The relative weights are 45-30-25
Assessment #1 Individually graded exercises. Set 0 (due August 22nd, in class). Set 1 (due August 29th, in class). Set 2 (extended to Sept 15, slightly edited). Set 3 (due Oct 10th, in class). Set 0 is non-mandatory, consisting of prerequisites. It gives you a chance to refresh the fundamentals of quantum and linear algebra and perhaps earn a few bonus points that can be added to subsequent problem sets. Each (1-3) set constitutes 15% of the final grade. Please include full solutions, not just the answers!
Assessment #2 (30pt, Oct 3rd Choose a topic in quantum computing from a list given by the coordinator (additional topics might be allowed if agreed by the coordinator). Research, using relevant scholarly and/or popular resources, and/or imagine the application a future quantum technology might bring us. You can focus on applications of your topic or how (improvements in) quantum tech help us to advance/better understand the topic. Discuss how the technology might serve or change society/business/personal lives/economy/health, engineering, etc and discuss the challenges and limitations of the quantum approach. Prepare and record a 10-minute presentation (+/- 3 minutes) that discusses the technology and its application. Upload your video to YouTube/Vimeo/Dropbox and share your link with the class. Exceptionally creative videos can earn bonus points. Provide feedback to at least 2 other videos within two weeks after the submission deadline. This assessment will be undertaken in pairs set by the lecturer
List of topics to choose from.
example of a past video (but feel free to take creative liberties with the format)
Choosing the assessment topic to be the same as the honours/masters/PhD topic is strongly discouraged.
Assessment #3 (25pt, presentation Oct 31st, report Nov 10th 2023, alternative date Nov 14, report Nov 24th) This assessment includes an in-class presentation and a submitted written report. Students will choose a protocol from a list given by the coordinator. They will need to use classical and quantum literature to determine how the protocol compares to its classical counterpart, what its limitations are and when and how could it be successfully deployed.
The presentation should be about 10 minutes including questions but the time is somewhat flexible. As for the report, anything between 2-10 pages would be acceptable as long as you're able to explain the result.
Example report (grad student with a fairly complex topic)
Prerequisites
Chris’s lectures from his Youtube channel
linear algebra for quantum computing
Recommended texts
Lecture notes from John Preskill and his video lectures
Very useful quantum computation prerequisite material from Richard Jozsa
Useful tools
Cirq open source framework by Google Quantum AI for programming quantum computers
Solved Problems
Fidelity exercise from Lecture 4
Lecture #1 (August 8TH, 3pm)
We will focus on the motivation behind quantum computing and learn about models of computation and Church-Turing thesis, logic circuits and quantum circuits.
40 years of quantum computing (specifically 18:01 Charlie Bennett - 1981 49:20 Peter Shor - Development of Quantum Algorithms and Error Correction 01:26:53 Steve Girvin - A Brief History of Superconducting Qubits)
Richard P. Feynman, Simulating Physics with Computers
Lecture #2 (August 15th, 3pm)
We will review and deepen our understanding of quantum mechanics - quantum states, operations and measurements.
Lecture #3 (August 22th, 3pm)
We will learn the foundations of quantum information theory, such as tomography and properties of quantum channels, and how they connect to quantum computing.
Lecture #4 (August 28th, 3pm)
We continue covering quantum information and we learn some physics.
lecture notes (3+4) slides
The Theory of Quantum Information
Lecture #5 (September 5TH , 3pm)
We will learn about the principles of quantum architecture and the physics of building quantum computers. We will study multiple approaches to building a quantum computer.
Steven Girvin on superconducting qubits
Google Quantum AI superconducting lab (hardware starts at 0:30 - 2:30)
Transmons (2:38 for implementation of classical bits, quantum implementation stars at 6:29)
Tour of IBM quantum lab (tour starts at 7:39)
Spin qubits (P in Si)
Xanadu’s overview of different approaches
Lecture #6 (September 12th, 3pm)
We will continue studying error correction and cover common error-correcting codes including topological codes and the surface code.
notes from Daniel Gottesman
Lecture #7 (September 19TH, 3pm)
We will start studying quantum algorithms.
Lecture notes (lectures 7-10)
September 26TH - STUVAC (NO CLASS)
Lecture #8 (October 3rd, 3pm)
We will continue with more advanced quantum algorithms.
Lecture notes are combined with Lecture 7.
Lecture #9 (October 17TH, 2pm)
Conclude quantum algorithms and start quantum complexity. Lecture notes are combined with Lecture 7.
Lecture #10 (October 17th, 2pm)
We will turn the theory to quantum complexity and cover the computational model that describes quantum computation and the difference between the power of quantum and classical computers.
Lecture #11 (October 24st, 2pm)
We will conclude the course by talking about entanglement and quantum communication.
quantum communication notes from Debbie Leung
quantum entanglement notes by Thomas Vidick
Lecture #12 (October 31th, 2pm)
The last class will be devoted to individual presentations and we will wrap up the course