Introduction
Nearly 20 years ago, the world found itself sitting right in the middle of an explosion in the
development, research and application of a technology called Artificial Intelligence i.e. AI. And
today, the explosion is far from ebbing away. With AI being one of the most pursued
technological fields, everyone from academicians to industrialists to investors, wants to have a
piece of it. However, it is undeniable that if knowledge on pursuing AI was more commonplace,
accessible and affordable 20 years ago, many more of us would have been able to have a say in where AI takes us (and potentially address many of the current shortcomings in AI).
This interesting piece of historical evidence is my main motivation behind this blog, where I
discuss how people at different stages in their careers/education can pursue Quantum Computing,
how they can build their skills and where they can find the resources from.
Today, it’s not AI, but Quantum, a field based on the principles of Quantum Mechanics, with a
thousand times more potential, that needs to be democratized, made accessible and pursued by
people without financial, age, socio-cultural, gender and gender barriers. What we failed to do
with AI, we could do with Quantum and ensure that a more diverse demographic would lead the
upcoming Quantum Revolution, and hence create a better, more powerful future for Quantum.
Please note that this blog primarily caters to an audience in India, although globally accessible
resources are also discussed.
If you are in the 14+ age group of people, you are not too ‘early’ to start exploring Quantum and
neither is it too late if you are in your late thirties.
Common Resources for everyone
The following are some resources for everyone, starting from high schoolers and undergrads to
working professionals, to get started :
- The Feynman Lectures on Physics : One of my most revisited pieces of literature in
Physics (Quantum Mechanics included) has to be this book. It contains a very intuitive
introduction to the major concepts of Physics and the book can be found free of cost at
The Feynman Lectures on Physics (caltech.edu) - MIT OpenCourseWare (OCW) : Free of cost, full course length, highly intuitive lectures
with foundational knowledge also discussed, and delivered by lecturers from MIT – MIT
OCW is a one stop shop for skill building and gaining expertise in a field and Quantum
Mechanics is no different. The undergraduate courses on Quantum Physics and
Philosophy of Quantum Mechanics are beautiful lecture series to start with. Find MIT
OCW at MIT OpenCourseWare | Free Online Course Materials - NPTEL Courses : This is an online initiative where students above the age of 13 can
enroll in courses being taught at IITs and IISc, along with other prominent institutes in
India and learn from eminent professors for free! Furthermore, by paying a fee of 1000
INR you can write a proctored exam and get a certificate from these prominent institutes.
Find the NPTEL website at Home :: NPTEL - QETCI Youtube Channel : With a purpose to accelerate the quantum ecosystem in India,
QETCI is focussed on making quantum accessible to all and this reflects in the content
posted on the Youtube channel. From detailed, beginner-level, tutorials on Microsoft
Azure and Amazon Braket Quantum Platforms delivered by professionals working at
Microsoft and Amazon themselves, to intuition building discussions in policy, innovation
and start up acceleration in Quantum, find anything and everything at QETCI Youtube
channel, Quantum Ecosystems & Technology Council of India – YouTube and get started
on holistic skill building in Quantum. Furthermore, you can find information on latest
events, conferences and much more! - AWS Braket Documentation : Intended for beginners, the comprehensive AWS braket
documentation provides not only fundamental knowledge of quantum but also detailed
step by step processes for installing, setting up and running Braket for Quantum
Computing and integrating it with the AWS cloud unit. The documentation spells out
every step clearly and is a must read for someone who wants to begin coding as they’re
learning, but has none to little experience in both coding and quantum. Find AWS Braket
at Amazon Braket Documentation - QSim (Quantum Computer Simulator Toolkit) – Designed and built by collaborating
scientists from IISc Bangalore, IIT Roorkee, and C-DAC with the support of MeitY, this
indian quantum simulator is a perfect place for any student, working professional or
quantum enthusiast to start. There is a detailed knowledge base that details many
fundamentals of quantum including algorithms. Anyone can have access to the simulator
provided you email them. Start using this simple yet extremely effective indigenious tool
right away at Quantum Simulator Workbench | Powered by IISc Density Matrix
Simulator (qctoolkit.in) - Girls in Quantum : Founded by Elisa Torres, a 17 year old student from Chile, Girls in
Quantum is an initiative aimed at promoting quantum computing at an early/beginners
level stage, especially for high school students. They conduct regular free of cost tutorial
sessions in Quantum and you can find more about this at Home – Girls in Quantum - IEEE Quantum – Education : The IEEE Quantum Education portal provides access to a
diverse set of content, including articles, blogs, videos, university lectures, Ted Talks,
among others, on various fields of quantum. You can also have access to upcoming
conferences, events and workshops that can help you build multiple skills in quantum - QubitbyQubit Programs and Schools : QubitbyQubit has partnered with companies like
Microsoft and Researchers from MIT, Oxford etc to bring quantum computing and
information science to students, starting from high school, at no cost, through its many
programs, including the upcoming Winter School with Microsoft. In fact you can apply
for this winter school at QubitxQubit | Camps & Intensives (qubitbyqubit.org) and
explore more programs at QubitxQubit | Programs (qubitbyqubit.org) - Qiskit Summer School : Students as young as 14 can apply for the Qiskit Summer School
where only basic beginner level python and matrix multiplication is needed! One can also
be on a lookout for more such summer schools.
Resources for university students and working professionals
The following are some resources for students undergraduate (and above) and working
professionals especially :
- Intermediate level courses on Quantum can be completed on platforms such as edX (eg :
Introduction to Quantum Computing for Everyone | edX), Coursera (eg : Introduction to
Quantum Information | Coursera ) and FutureLearn (eg : Quantum Computer
Architecture (futurelearn.com)) - Plan for a Bachelors specialization or a major in engineering physics, computer science,
electrical engineering or electrical and communications. A strong background in these
fields can provide a solid foundation for a career in quantum computing and other
quantum fields. You can also explore IITs, IISc and IISERs in India that offer Masters in
Physics with specializations and electives in Quantum. CQuICC ( Centre for Quantum
Information, Communication and Computing), IIT Madras offers Masters for
professionals with a B.Tech and 2+ years of work experience.
(https://cce.iitm.ac.in/Online/ContactFrom_v5/ContactFrom_v5/Annexure.html).
One can also go for graduate programs like Master of Science in Quantum Technology
(Master of Science in Quantum Technology – ANU) – offered by Australian National
University,Master of Science (MSc) in Quantum Information Science by University of
Copenhagen (Master of Science (MSc) in Quantum Information Science – University of
Copenhagen (ku.dk)), Master of Science in Quantum Information – offered by the
University of Waterloo (Physics – MSc (Quantum Information) at Waterloo | Graduate
Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs | University of Waterloo (uwaterloo.ca)), among others. - Keep an eye out for research groups focussed on Quantum, as they regularly offer
internships, fellowships and mentorships to people interested in pursuing quantum. Some
of the research groups to look out for are, The Centre of Quantum Science and
Technology at IIIT, Hyderabad, Center for Excellence in Quantum Technology at IISc
Bangalore, Centre of Excellence (CoE) on Quantum Technologies at IIT Delhi, among
others - To be able to fund your education in Quantum, a number of scholarships are available,
for example, The Microsoft Quantum Scholars Program – offered by Microsoft, this
program provides scholarships to students pursuing a masters degree in quantum
computing, The Google Quantum Computing Scholarships – offered by Google, this
program provides scholarships to students pursuing a masters degree in quantum
computing, The European Quantum Technologies Master’s Scholarships – offered by the
European Commission, this program provides scholarships to students pursuing a masters
degree in quantum technologies, The IBM Quantum Computing Scholarships – offered by
IBM, this program provides scholarships to students pursuing a masters degree in
quantum computing and The National Quantum Technologies Scholarships – offered by
the UK National Quantum Technologies Programme, this program provides scholarships
to students pursuing a masters degree in quantum technologies. - One of the most convenient and impactful methods to push your knowledge in Quantum
(or any other field for that matter), is reading books. Some books are mentioned as
follows :
A. Beginner-Intermediate level
I. “Quantum Mechanics for Dummies” by Steven Holzner: This book provides a friendly
and accessible introduction to the principles of quantum mechanics, with clear
explanations and examples to help readers understand the key concepts.
II. “An Introduction to Quantum Mechanics” by David Griffiths: This widely-used
textbook offers a clear and thorough introduction to the principles of quantum mechanics,
with a focus on developing the mathematical tools needed to solve problems in the field.
III. “Quantum Mechanics: A Beginner’s Guide” by Alastair I. M. Rae: This book provides
a concise and accessible introduction to the principles of quantum mechanics, with a
focus on helping readers build a solid foundation in the subject.
IV. “Quantum Mechanics: The Theoretical Minimum” by Leonard Susskind and Art
Friedman: This book provides a unique introduction to quantum mechanics, focusing on
the fundamental principles and the underlying mathematical concepts.
V. “Quantum Mechanics: A Modern and Concise Introductory Course” by Daniel Arovas:
This book provides a concise and modern introduction to the principles of quantum
mechanics, with a focus on the mathematical tools and techniques needed to solve
problems in the field.
B. Intermediate-Advanced Level
I. Quantum Mechanics: An Introduction, by Walter Greiner, with a forword by D.A.
Bromley.
II. Quantum Mechanics: Special Chapters, by Walter Greiner, with a forword by D.A.
Bromley.
III. Quantum Mechanics: Symmetries, by Berndt Muller, Walter Greiner.
IV. Relativistic Quantum Mechanics. Wave Equations, by Walter Greiner, with a forword
by D.A. Bromley.
V. Field Quantization: Walter Greiner, Joachim Reinhardt, with a forword by D.A.
Bromley.
VI. Quantum Chromodynamics: Walter Greiner, Stefan Schramm, Eckart Stein, with a
preface by D.A. Bromley.
VII. Quantum Mechanics, Third Edition: Non-Relativistic Theory: L. D. Landau, L. M.
Lifshitz.
VIII. Quantum Electrodynamics (Course of Theoretical Physics, Vol. 4), by E. M.
Lifshitz, V. B. Berestetski, L. P. Pitaevskii.
C. Books with a focus on Quantum Computing
I. “Quantum Computing for Computer Scientists” by Noson S. Yanofsky and Mirco A.
Mannucci
II. “Quantum Computing since Democritus” by Scott Aaronson
III. “Quantum Computing: A Gentle Introduction” by Eleanor G. Rieffel and Wolfgang
H. Polak
IV. “Quantum Computation and Quantum Information” by Michael A. Nielsen and Isaac
L. Chuang
V. “Quantum Information Science and Quantum Computing” by Mika Hirvensalo
VI.”The Quantum Computing Revolution” by Nick Herbert
Conclusion
Quantum is a fascinating, rapidly-developing field and it holds immense potential to
fundamentally revolutionize human existence. Just a fully functional quantum computer can
render the current encryption devices vulnerable! This is just the tip of the iceberg that potential
use cases of quantum represent and if you’re interested in becoming a part of this through
quantum computing, this blog has brought to you all necessary resources you need for skill
building in quantum computing.
As a beginner, there are a few key things you should keep in mind. First and foremost,
understanding the basics of quantum mechanics is not only crucial, but can also be incredibly fun
if done the right way. Many resources for this are mentioned above that you can use to build your
knowledge in quantum mechanics, and eventually, quantum computing by providing a
foundation for what quantum computers are, how they work and what sets them apart from
classical computers. The next step in skill building for quantum computing is to research more
about the various different types of quantum computers that are currently available (e.g. Trapped
ion, Superconducting, Photonic, among others). These all types have their own unique
advantages and challenges. Then, you can continue learning about building a career in quantum
by exploring things like quantum algorithms, error correction, and quantum cryptography. It is
important to note that you can find information and resources on most of these topics in the
aforementioned lists of resources for quantum skill building.
Last but not the least, connecting and networking with people who are either pursuing quantum
computing or are interested in exploring quantum computing. This can be done through online
forums, social media groups, and conferences. QETCI is one such platform that is bringing
together not only quantum computing scientists, physicists and quantum engineers, but also
investors and start-up mentors to establish a quantum-focused ecosystem. By connecting with
QETCI, you can access valuable support, resources, and opportunities to learn and collaborate.
Please reach out to info@qetci.org to know more about joining QETCI as a member and be a
part of the first of its kind organization that can help you collaborate with people in various
stages of their quantum careers, give you access to exclusive resources, such as pur expert talks
and quantum workshops, invite-only investor showcases and help you take the resources
mentioned in this blog forward!
I hope this helped you understand how you can start building skills in quantum computing today
and I hope to see you come back for more such resourceful content.
By Fareeha Almas
