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Making Quantum Computing Open

Ruslan Shaydulin, Caleb Thomas, Paige Rodeghero

Published Jun 27, 2020• 17 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Quantum computing (QC) is an emerging computing paradigm with the potential to revolutionize the field of computing. QC is a field that is quickly developing globally and has high barriers of entry. In this paper, we explore both successful contributors to the field as well as the wider QC community with the goal of understanding the backgrounds and training that helped them succeed. We gather data on 148 contributors to open source quantum computing projects hosted on GitHub and survey 46 members of QC community. Our findings show that QC practitioners and enthusiasts have diverse backgrounds, with most of them having a PhD and training in physics or computer science. We observe a lack of educational resources on quantum computing. Our goal is to use these results to start a conversation on making quantum computing more open.

DOI
10.1145/3387940.3391471

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Quantum computing (QC) is an emerging computing paradigm with the potential to revolutionize the field of computing. QC is a field that is quickly developing globally and has high barriers of entry. In this paper, we explore both successful contributors to the field as well as the wider QC community with the goal of understanding the backgrounds and training that helped them succeed. We gather data on 148 contributors to open source quantum computing projects hosted on GitHub and survey 46 members of QC community. Our findings show that QC practitioners and enthusiasts have diverse backgrounds, with most of them having a PhD and training in physics or computer science. We observe a lack of educational resources on quantum computing. Our goal is to use these results to start a conversation on making quantum computing more open.
Quantum computing (QC) is an emerging computing paradigm with potential to revolutionize the field of computing. QC is a field that is quickly developing globally and has high barriers of entry. In this paper we explore both successful contributors to the field as well as wider QC community with the goal of understanding the backgrounds and training that helped them succeed. We gather data on 148 contributors to open-source quantum computing projects hosted on GitHub and survey 46 members of QC community. Our findings show that QC practitioners and enthusiasts have diverse backgrounds, with most of them having a PhD and trained in physics or computer science. We observe a lack of educational resources on quantum computing. Our goal for these findings is to start a conversation about how best to prepare the next generation of QC researchers and practitioners.
Open source software is becoming crucial in the design and testing of quantum algorithms. Many of the tools are backed by major commercial vendors with the goal to make it easier to develop quantum software: this mirrors how well-funded open machine learning frameworks enabled the development of complex models and their execution on equally complex hardware. We review a wide range of open source software for quantum computing, covering all stages of the quantum toolchain from quantum hardware interfaces through quantum compilers to implementations of quantum algorithms, as well as all quantum computing paradigms, including quantum annealing, and discrete and continuous-variable gate-model quantum computing. The evaluation of each project covers characteristics such as documentation, licence, the choice of programming language, compliance with norms of software engineering, and the culture of the project. We find that while the diversity of projects is mesmerizing, only a few attract external developers and even many commercially backed frameworks have shortcomings in software engineering. Based on these observations, we highlight the best practices that could foster a more active community around quantum computing software that welcomes newcomers to the field, but also ensures high-quality, well-documented code.
Quantum computing (QC) is an emerging field at the intersection of computer science and physics. Harnessing the power of quantum mechanics, QC is expected to solve otherwise intractable problems significantly faster, including in encryption, drug development, and optimization. High-quality and accessible QC resources are needed to help students develop the critical skills and confidence to contribute to the field. However, existing programs are often aimed at college students with an advanced mathematics or physics background, shutting out potential innovators.
Quantum technologies are currently among the most promising technological developments, with quantum computing, in particular, playing a crucial role. This is accompanied by promising opportunities, but also new challenges for our society. However, quantum computing as a subject of computer science education is still at the very beginning. This paper aims to discuss quantum computing as a topic in computer science education and to make a first approach to central terms and ideas as well as their explanatory approaches. With the help of an explorative focus group interview with experts, five core ideas of quantum computer science are identified in this study. A literature review is then used to identify, categorize, and contrast different explanatory approaches for these ideas. The results thus contribute to making quantum computer science accessible for computing education and raise further questions for the computing education research community.
Quantum computing is an emerging field with growing implications across science and industry, making early educational exposure increasingly important. This paper examines how quantum computing concepts can be introduced into high-school STEM curricula within existing structures to enhance foundational learning in mathematics, computer science, and physics. We outline a modular integration strategy introducing key quantum ideas into standard courses, leveraging open-source educational resources to ensure global accessibility. Emphasis is placed on educational opportunity and equity: the approach is designed to be inclusive and to bridge current curricular gaps so that students worldwide can develop basic quantum literacy. Our analysis demonstrates that integrating quantum topics at the secondary level is feasible and can enrich STEM learning.
Quantum computing (QC) is a rapidly growing field linking the disciplines of mathematics, physics, and computer science. CS students and software developers are a natural talent pool for the future QC workforce, but existing QC simulation and visualization tools are not designed with their background in mind. We present QC.py, a full-featured, open-source Python simulation and visualization tool for quantum circuits, with a feature set tailored to the background of CS students and software practitioners.