Quantum Computer Architecture

The goal of this course is to introduce the students to 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.

Covered topics include:

- 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.

Besides, the course covers the aspect of efficiently reading and understanding scientific papers.

The final grade consists of two parts:

- Part 1: Weekly homework, will be submitted electronically. Individual submission.

- Part 2: Written exam.

The global course grade is an average of each parts grade (50% part 1 + 50% part 2).

Students are allowed to omit one homework.

The repair option for both, weekly homework and written exam, is an oral exam on the topics of the course.