Students should have successfully completed the course Fundamentals of Quantum Information (AP3421). Basic knowledge of Matlab is also required.

The goal of this course is to introduce the students the overall system of a quantum computer, focusing on the classical hardware and software infrastructure required to build a quantum computer together with the quantum hardware. This course complements the course Quantum Hardware (AP3292) that covers the quantum components in a quantum computer by covering all classical hardware and software components.

Covered topics:
- Quantum computer architecture; quantum languages; compilers; QISA; microarchitecture. 
- Quantum simulator (QX simulator);
- Quantum error correction: quantum error correction codes; encoding; logical operations.
- Mapping of quantum circuits; placement of qubits; scheduling of operations; routing of qubits;
- Classical hardware for quantum computing: classical controller and quantum processor; qubit hardware and the need for cryogenic electronics;
- Receiver and transmitter architectures for controlling qubits: frequency up/down-conversion, modulation schemes, frequency generation.
- Hardware building blocks: amplifiers, analog-to-digital converters, digital-to-analog converters, digital processing, FPGA
- Cryo-CMOS: device characteristics, state-of-the-art, design principles.

- Students are able to define what different layers and blocks are required to build a quantum computer. 

- Students are able to write different quantum circuits using QASM, to execute them using a quantum simulation tool (QX simulator) and to interpret the result. 

- Students are able to describe how QEC works and implement different quantum error correction (QEC) codes. 


- Students are able to implement surface code including encoding, error detection, error correction and logical operations, especially for a Ninja star.
- Students are able to map simple quantum circuits into a specific physical quantum layout.
- Students are able to identify and describe the different hardware blocks in the classical controller in a quantum computer.
- Students are able to derive the specifications of the individual components in a classical controller form the requirements of the whole controller.
- Students can compare different hardware blocks base don their specifications and can select the appropriate component for target functionality and specifications
- Students can describe the main features and advantages/disadavantages of the adoption of cryogenic electronics in general and cryo-CMOS specifically.

Lectures.

- M. A. Nielsen and I. L. Chuang, “Quantum Computation and Quantum Information”, 2002.
- Lecture slides and other material, such as scientific papers, will be distributed.

Weekly homework, a final assignment and an oral exam.