Quantum Computation and Quantum Information Theory to be Offered Fall 2019

To prepare students for the quantum future, the Department of Physics will offer Quantum Computation and Quantum Information Theory (33-658) for fall 2019.

While still in the earliest stages of development, quantum computing is considered by many to be the future of computing. Using the fundamental principles of quantum mechanics, quantum computers will be much faster and more efficient than any existing supercomputer, allowing scientists to solve complex problems that are currently impossible to solve. For example, it is thought that quantum computers will be able to solve difficult mathematical problems that could be used to create secure cryptographic systems and model complex chemical reactions to design new molecules for medicine and industrial processes.

“Companies like Google and IBM, as well as many governments, are making large investments into quantum computing,” said Physics Professor Ira Rothstein. “In this class, we will introduce students to the weird quantum world, and give them an introduction to a field of study that will be at the forefront of research and discovery in the years to come."

In the class, students will learn the basics of classical information theory, which studies how information is quantified, stored and communicated using standard, binary methods. Then they will delve into quantum information theory, which looks at how information is processed in a quantum world governed by the rules of quantum mechanics.

The course will be open to all interested students who have taken the pre-requisite class in Quantum Mechanics (33-234). Quantum Mechanics will be given in the spring 2019 semester.