Abstract

Quantum technologies are expected to be among the most transformational technologies of the twenty-first century, changing how we sense the world around us, approach security, and process critical information. Transitioning the industry from quantum research labs to the commercial environment requires a sizable workforce skilled in supporting Quantum 2.0. To achieve the goal of the entire quantum ecosystem, society at all levels needs to be aware of this emerging field and then be inspired, attracted, educated, and trained with the new quantum skills and competencies. This poses a challenge as quantum science is a difficult and counterintuitive subject. How is a subject such as quantum mechanics that, as the famous quantum scientist Richard Feynman once said, “nobody fully understands” to be taught?

In this presentation, we will share our experiences and results of EdQuantum, an NSF-funded project whose goal is to develop a curriculum to train future quantum technicians. The proposed curriculum intends to provide an essential first step in quantum education at the associate’s level. The curriculum relies heavily on a visual, hands-on approach that is based on commercially available quantum educational hardware. The curriculum strives to bring complex quantum science to a level understandable to individuals without a solid scientific background through algebra-based theory and simple experiments. As such, it may also be used to raise awareness and inspire high school students to seek careers as future quantum scientists.

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