Session C02: Teaching Quantum Information

Pivoting the undergraduate quantum mechanics class to support training in quantum sensing

While many universities and colleges are thinking of updating their curriculum to better support training in quantum information science to prepare students for the second quantum revolution, the efforts in providing a foundation for work in quantum sensing seems to be far less than those to help prepare students for quantum computing or quantum communication. There is a challenge with making the course accessible to a wide range of students (hence with a reduced set of math prerequisites), while also providing thorough discussions of quantum experiments from the second quantum revolution (manipulating, controlling, and measuring single quanta). At Georgetown University (and in collaboration with edX), we have developed a modernized quantum mechanics class for undergraduates (science majors and engineers) that achieves this goal. We employ a representation-independent formalism that reduces the mathematical load (and prerequisites) for the students and allows us to cover far more applications to experiment than are commonly done in conventional courses. The course focuses on the conceptual ideas of superposition, entanglement, and complementarity before moving into formalism development and applications. More than two dozen advanced experiments are discussed including advanced sensing experiments (such as interaction-free experiments and the laser interferometry gravitational wave observatory). The class is offered both as a flipped class and as a fully on-line class. Lectures and advanced visualizations are available on youtube and github, respectively.   

Invited Talk: Thomas Searles

TBD   

Quantum Information for Undergraduate Physics Majors, Computer Science Majors, and Advanced High-School Students

Since 2014 I have taught an introductory quantum information course for general STEM majors at Harvey Mudd and the Claremont Colleges.  I report on the structure and content of this course, and its evolution over eight offerings so far.  Since its inception, this quantum information course has enrolled the majority of its students from outside the physics major (chiefly computer science and mathematics majors).  As interest in quantum information science has broadened even over the last eight years, I have adjusted materials and presentation to make the course accessible to a wider audience while maintaining the vision of a rigorous and ambitious introductory course.   The current course is suitable for the motivated student with a minimal exposure to linear algebra -- matrix multiplication and calculating determinants -- and has been completed by students from all five of the Claremont Colleges as well as numerous advanced high-school students.  In addition, as an experimental physicist, I discuss hands-on and laboratory instruction at the undergraduate level that supports and complements theoretical exposure to quantum information concepts and prepares undergraduate students for further experiences in the field.   

The interdisciplinary quantum information classroom

Quantum information science programs and courses are becoming more prevalent in the United States.  While quantum information science as a research field has been around for several decades, the introduction of it at the undergraduate level is both newer, and important as quantum industries grow and the need for a 'quantum literate' workforce emerges.  As physics education researchers, we are focused on supporting faculty as they develop courses for a wide range of students.  Before being able to develop materials to improve content understanding, we need to first learn more about the courses being taught, the student populations they serve, and where students struggle.  We present our findings on where introductory quantum information courses are being taught and report results from a targeted survey of quantum information instructors.  We find that while quantum information courses are becoming more prevalent, there are certain institution types that are more likely to offer these courses than others, potentially hampering efforts to create a diverse workforce.  We also find that the interdisciplinary nature of the field translates into introductory quantum information courses that have very different focuses and goals, depending on the expertise of the instructor.