ABSTRACT

Significant progress has been made in the manufacturing of quantum computers in recent years, leading to the emergence of quantum computers from high-tech and startup companies such as IBM, Google, Intel, IonQ, PsiQuantum, Xanadu, and ColdQuanta. Moreover, the number of quantum bits in a quantum computer consistently grows from tens to hundreds. As such, the practical use of the emerging quantum computing cyberinfrastructure for solving real-world problems is just around the corner; however, the development of the quantum engineering workforce has yet to keep pace, which creates a shortage of talent to use and optimize the quantum system and significantly slows down the process of exploring quantum frontiers to advance science and engineering. To fill this gap, this project pilots an end-to-end quantum system integration training program, which provides workshops to bring quantum newcomers into the field, develops systematic courses to prepare undergraduates and graduates getting ready for quantum engineering jobs and research, and offers tutorials to enable the broad adoption of quantum computing tools and methods.

The goal of this project is to grow a diverse quantum-ready workforce and broaden the adoption of advanced quantum computing cyberinfrastructure. To achieve this goal, three engaging, gradually advanced, self-contained, and high-impact training projects are built upon the PI and Co-PIs' existing courses on introduction to quantum computing, and innovative research on quantum system optimization, quantum machine learning, and quantum error suppression. These projects are compiled into educational activities, including curricula, regional workshops, and nationwide tutorials. Specifically, the proposed educational activities include (1) updating an existing Mason course, entitled Introduction to Quantum Computation and Quantum Information, to make it suitable for engineering students and creating a new graduate course, entitled Quantum Computing System Design; (2) creating a project-based workshop for diverse quantum newcomers; and (3) developing hands-on tutorials to train people in the use of quantum deployment tools. The team is collaborating with the IBM Quantum Hub and the Quantum Computing User Program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), allowing the usage of quantum computers at various scales. All educational activities aim to boost the adoption of new and advanced quantum cyberinfrastructures by multidisciplinary students and researchers and to formulate a quantum engineering research community.

This award by the NSF Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure is jointly supported by the Division of Computing and Communication Foundations within the NSF Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

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