Ray LaPierre - Introduction to Quantum Computing

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My interest in quantum computing began 20 years ago with my research career in semiconductor nanowires, which are being investigated as a potential platform for quantum computing. In 2020, I offered a senior undergraduate course in quantum computing at McMaster University (Hamilton, Ontario, Canada). The course assumed only an introductory background in quantum mechanics and was intended for undergraduate students in their third or fourth year of a four-year bachelors degree program. While researching the content for the course, I found several excellent books but none of them gave a completely satisfactory understanding of the topic at an introductory level. The book most often cited in this field is Quantum Computation and Quantum Information (Cambridge University Press 2017) by Nielson and Chuang. I once heard someone say that youre not doing quantum computing unless its in Nielson and Chuang. However, the book by Nielson and Chuang is probably not the best for the undergraduate beginner. Conversely, other books are available for a more general audience without assuming much background in physics, but I found these books did not delve into the topic deeply enough. Lastly, many textbooks on quantum computing are written for computer scientists with an emphasis on algorithms rather than the hardware that may be of more interest to engineers. Quantum computing is now ramping up in the private sector [1], requiring more graduates with engineering- and physics-based knowledge in the field. Therefore, the present book includes a physics- and engineering-based approach to quantum computing.

The book begins in Chap..

Quantum computing is a fascinating and exciting topic, but also a complicated one. Understanding quantum computing requires the synthesis of knowledge across many disciplines of physics and computer science, including electrodynamics, electronics, condensed matter physics, and quantum mechanics, posing a challenge to any beginner. I hope this book offers a good beginning to your journey.

I am grateful to McMaster University, the Department of Engineering Physics, my many colleagues, my students, and my family for permitting me the time and inspiration to write this book.