CSC 474 Quantum Computing Platforms

In conventional (classical) electronic computers the physical states that encode information are conduction states of a transistor, whose only possibilities are on or off, thereby encoding a single binary digit or bit. A system of N transistors can encode N bits. In quantum computers, information is encoded into the state of some quantum system which can exist in one of two states, as well as any superposition thereof. Quantum states encoding information are named qubits. Thanks to superposition, the information encoding capability of a system of N qubits scales like 2N, vastly outpacing the capabilities of a classical computer. In addition to superposition, the phenomena known as quantum entanglement and quantum interference enable computational processes that are practically impossible to "classical" computers. Various quantum systems have been proposed and investigated to serve as platforms for quantum computing. This course aims to acquaint students with the science of qubits, the computational processes they enable, and the principles relevant to the design and construction of quantum computers. The course is designed to be self-contained, in a way that no previous exposure to quantum physics is required.

Cross Listed Courses

CSC/DA/EE 474/574