Pathways through the quantum computing teaching material
Overview
The teaching materials Quantum Computing in STEM Education are modular and interdisciplinary, allowing teachers to tailor their use to different subjects, learning goals and classroom contexts. Rather than following a fixed course structure, teachers can select individual units or combine them into coherent pathways that match their students’ prior knowledge, interests and available lesson time. The pathways presented below are suggestions that illustrate possible progressions through the material and can be adapted or rearranged freely.
Programming quantum circuits
This tutorial introduces two practical ways to program quantum circuits for teaching and learning: using a visual drag‑and‑drop interface and writing code with Qiskit. Students build, visualise, and run simple quantum circuits on simulators and real quantum computers using the IBM Quantum and IQM platforms. Working with real quantum hardware is particularly encouraging for students, as it shows that the concepts learned in class can be tested on actual devices and are part of current scientific and technological practice.
Go to the tutorial Programming quantum circuits
Overview over the different pathways
- Physics I
Introduction of quantum concepts through physical intuition, thought experiments and hands on optics, with minimal mathematical formalism - Physics II
Stronger emphasis on applications, algorithms and computational ideas, while remaining accessible for physics classes - Mathematics
Focus on the mathematical language of quantum computing, using physical and computational contexts to motivate the concepts - Computer Science I
Starts from classical computing concepts and gradually introduces quantum ideas through simulations and programming‑related activities - Computer Science II
Introduction of quantum algorithms from a computational perspective, starting with classical search and encryption problems and showing how quantum approaches can achieve speed‑up
Physics-focused pathways
Physics I
Recommended for:
- Age group: 16–19
- Prior knowledge: basic school level physics (waves, light); no prior knowledge of quantum computing required
This pathway introduces quantum concepts through physical intuition, thought experiments and hands on optics, with minimal mathematical formalism.
- Basics of Quantum Physics (45 minutes)
- Introduction to concepts of quantum mechanics (state, measurement, superposition, entanglement)
- Link to classical experiment = Young’s double slit experiment
- An Example for Quantum Supremacy: Quantum Bomb Detection (45 minutes)
- Thought experiment: detecting quantum bombs using a simulation with a Mach–Zehnder interferometer
- Introducing superposition and quantum supremacy
- Playing with Light (90 minutes)
- Demonstrating superposition in a real optical experiment using birefringent crystals and/or polarisation filters
- Analogy: laser beam = qubit, birefringent crystal(s)/polarisation filter(s) = quantum gate(s)
- Analogy: Mach–Zehnder interferometer resp. its elements = quantum gate(s). Link to quantum bomb detection experiment
- The Quantum Machine (45 minutes)
Playing with and learning about quantum gates and how they operate on one or two qubits. - Simulating Quantum Superposition and Entanglement (45-90 minutes per simulator)
Design, build and play around with circuits (Arduino + Tinkercad) that simulate quantum superposition and entanglement - Qubits, Quantum Gates and Quantum Circuits – a Computer Science Perspective (3x45 minutes if doing all three parts)
- Introducing quantum circuits that are used to programme quantum computers
- Carrying out several programmes and interpreting the results interpreting simple quantum circuits
- Deutsch’s algorithm – Mathematical approach (60 minutes)
Exploring quantum speed‑up through superposition and the Golden Circuit pattern
and/or
Deutsch’s algorithm – Computational approach (60 minutes)
Demonstrating quantum speed‑up using a simple algorithmic problem
Physics II – Applicatons and deeper insight
Recommended for:
- Age group: 16–18
- Prior knowledge: basic physics and mathematics; interest in applications and computation
This pathway places a stronger emphasis on applications, algorithms and computational ideas, while remaining accessible for physics classes.
- Qubits at Work – From Codebreaking to Climate Modelling (90 minutes)
- Applications of quantum computers (quantum cryptography, molecular design, weather and climate modelling)
- Simple introduction to quantum algorithms (Deutsch-Jozsa, Shor, Grover) – prerequisite: just simple mathematics
- Discovering the Supremacy of Quantum Computers (45 minutes)
- Introducing examples that demonstrate why computers can be faster for solving some problems.
- Carrying out a first programme on a real quantum computer
- Mathematical Basics (30-45 minutes per topic)
Probabilities, matrices (including bra-ket notation), vectors; optional: complex numbers and Bloch sphere - The Quantum Machine (45 minutes)
Playing with and learning about quantum gates and how they operate on one or two qubits. - Playing with Light (90 minutes)
- Demonstrating superposition in a real optical experiment using birefringent crystals and/or polarisation filters
- Analogy: laser beam = qubit, birefringent crystal(s)/polarisation filter(s) = quantum gate(s)
- Analogy: Mach–Zehnder interferometer resp. its elements = quantum gate(s). Link to quantum bomb detection experiment
- An Example for Quantum Supremacy: Quantum Bomb Detection (45 minutes)
- Thought experiment: detecting quantum bombs using a simulation with a Mach–Zehnder interferometer
- Introducing superposition and quantum supremacy
- Deutsch’s algorithm – Mathematical approach (60 minutes)
Exploring quantum speed‑up through superposition and the Golden Circuit pattern
and/or
Deutsch’s algorithm – Computational approach (60 minutes)
Demonstrating quantum speed‑up using a simple algorithmic problem - Grover’s algorithm (90-120 minutes)
Demonstrating quantum speed‑up for search problems using superposition and interference.
Mathematics pathway
Recommended for:
- Age group: 16–18
- Prior knowledge: basic algebra; curiosity about abstract models and representations
This pathway focuses on the mathematical language of quantum computing, using physical and computational contexts to motivate the concepts.
- Mathematical Basics (30-45 minutes per topic)
Probabilities, matrices, vectors; optional complex numbers and Bloch sphere - Classical Computing – Introduction to Binary (45-60 minutes) and Introduction to Logic Gates (2 x 45-60 minutes)
Handling bits and logic gates, the building blocks of classical computers - What is a quantum gate and how does it manipulate a qubit? (2x45 minutes)
- The building blocks of quantum com-puters are qubits and quantum gates
- Matrix representation of quantum gates and vector representation (or ket repre-sentation) of qubits
- Learning how to handle the matrices and vectors/kets.
- The Quantum Machine (45 minutes)
Playing with and learning about quantum gates and how they operate on one or two qubits. - Discovering the Supremacy of Quantum Computers (45 minutes)
- Introducing examples that demonstrate why computers can be faster for solving some problems.
- Carrying out a first programme on a real quantum computer
- Qubits at Work – From Codebreaking to Climate Modelling (90 minutes)
- Applications of quantum computers (quantum cryptography, molecular design, weather and climate modelling)
- Simple introduction to quantum algorithms (Deutsch-Jozsa, Shor, Grover) – prerequisite: just simple mathematics
- Deutsch’s algorithm – Mathematical approach (60 minutes)
Exploring quantum speed‑up through superposition and the Golden Circuit pattern
Computer Science focused pathways
Computer Science I
Recommended for:
- Age group: 16–18
- Prior knowledge: basic understanding of algorithms or structured programming (no prior quantum knowledge required)
This pathway starts from classical computing concepts and gradually introduces quantum ideas through simulations and programming‑related activities.
- Qubits at Work – From Codebreaking to Climate Modelling (90 minutes)
- Applications of quantum computers (quantum cryptography, molecular design, weather and climate modelling)
- Simple introduction to quantum algorithms (Deutsch-Jozsa, Shor, Grover) – prerequisite: just simple mathematics
- Classical Computing – Introduction to Binary (45-60 minutes) and Introduction to Logic Gates (2 x 45-60 minutes)
Handling bits and logic gates, the building blocks of classical computers - Simulating a NOT Gate with NPN transistors and a Unsigned 2-bit binary converter (45-90 minutes each)
Design, build and play around with circuits (Arduino + Tinkercad) that simulate classical logic gates like the NOT gate - What is a quantum gate and how does it manipulate a qubit? (2x45 minutes)
- The building blocks of quantum com-puters are qubits and quantum gates
- Matrix representation of quantum gates and vector representation (or ket repre-sentation) of qubits
- Learning how to handle the matrices and vectors/kets.
- The Quantum Machine (45 minutes)
Playing with and learning about quantum gates and how they operate on one or two qubits. - Discovering the Supremacy of Quantum Computers (45 minutes)
- Introducing examples that demonstrate why computers can be faster for solving some problems.
- Carrying out a first programme on a real quantum computer
- Qubits, Quantum Gates and Quantum Circuits – a Computer Science Perspective (3x45 minutes if doing all three parts)
- Introducing quantum circuits that are used to programme quantum computers
- Carrying out several programmes and interpreting the results interpreting simple quantum circuits
- Deutsch’s algorithm – Computational approach (60 minutes)
Demonstrating quantum speed‑up using a simple algorithmic problem - Grover’s algorithm (90-120 minutes)
Demonstrating quantum speed‑up for search problems using superposition and interference.
Computer Science II
Recommended for:
- Age group: 16–18
- Prior knowledge: basic understanding of algorithms or structured programming (no prior quantum knowledge required)
This pathway introduces quantum algorithms from a computational perspective, starting with classical search and encryption problems and showing how quantum approaches can achieve speed‑up.
- Qubits at Work – From Codebreaking to Climate Modelling (90 minutes)
- Applications of quantum computers (quantum cryptography, molecular design, weather and climate modelling)
- Simple introduction to quantum algorithms (Deutsch-Jozsa, Shor, Grover) – prerequisite: just simple mathematics
- Introduction to search algorithms – Programming version (120 minutes)
- Deutsch’s algorithm – Computational approach (60 minutes)
Demonstrating quantum speed‑up using a simple algorithmic problem - Bernstein-Vazirani – Computational Approach (60 minutes)
Implementing a quantum algorithm that solves a binary search problem with fewer queries than any classical method. - Grover’s Algorithm (120 minutes)
Applying a quantum algorithm to speed up search problems compared to classical linear search. - RSA: the unbreakable code? (120 minutes)
Exploring how the RSA encryption system works and how classical methods are used to break it. - Breaking the unbreakable? Shor’s Algorithm (120 minutes)
Using a quantum algorithm to factor numbers and understand how quantum computers could break RSA encryption.
Outlook
Project coordinator Jörg Gutschank is developing with among others his colleagues from Leibniz Gymnasium | Dortmund International School a one year project course on quantum computing in addition to these pathways. You can subscribe for our Quantum Computing newsletter if you want to be updated: https://www.science-on-stage.eu/quantum-computing
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