Instructors: Barbara Terhal and Johannes Borregaard

Description: Quantum hardware is what turns the novel concepts of quantum computation and communication into reality. The key challenge is to control, couple, transmit and read out the fragile state of quantum systems with great precision, and in a technologically viable way.
Quantum Hardware I is focused on teaching theoretical physics concepts for understanding this Hamiltonian engineering challenge in various quantum hardware platforms. The material will be taught using example systems such as spin qubits (quantum dots or NV centers), superconducting, Majorana or trapped-ion qubits.

Study Goals:

-Understand underpinnings of single-qubit and two-qubit gate dynamics, qubit measurement, Rabi oscillations, dephasing & relaxation times, dynamical decoupling.

-Understand various approximations to obtain effective Hamiltonian dynamics.

-Understand sources of noise and inaccuracy.

-Ability to work with Lindblad equations modelling noise.

-Ability to work with bosonic and fermionic systems.

Format: Weekly lectures (Tuesday at 15:45-17:45) and tutorial exercise sessions (Friday at 10:45-12:45) with discussion of homework.

Study Material: Lecture notes
Auxiliary textbook: Nielsen and Chuang “Quantum computation and information”, Cambridge University Press.

Assessment: 30% homework, 70% final written exam.