Help with classes to get into Quantum Computing

AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on an undergraduate student pursuing a dual degree in Electrical Engineering with a focus on quantum computing hardware. The student is currently enrolled in a master's program concentrating on microelectronic devices and systems, covering solid-state physics and VLSI design, and has completed significant coursework in linear systems, probability, and analytical methods. The student seeks advice on whether their existing math background is sufficient to grasp the physics and engineering aspects of quantum computing and what additional courses to consider.Responses highlight the uncertainty in the field of quantum computing hardware, noting that there is no consensus on the specific technologies or physics branches that will dominate. Participants suggest focusing on foundational knowledge in both physics and computer architecture, given the diversity of competing quantum technologies. Emphasis is placed on understanding the basics of quantum mechanics and solid-state physics, as these will be crucial for future studies and career development in quantum computing.
pjcircle
Messages
14
Reaction score
0
Hi I am an undergrad student in an Electrical engineering program and going for my masters and undergrad degree at the same time (special program i am in). I an very interested on the hardware side of quantum computing as to have a future career in this field (eventually will go for a PhD). I was wondering what classes specifically I should be taking to better support this goal. At the moment my masters concentration is in microelectronic devices and systems which mainly focuses on solid state devices/solid state physics and VLSI design along with some core courses which include Linear systems theory (mostly signal processing), probability and stochastic processes and analytical methods for EEs (this includes a lot of linear algebra, Cauchy-Binet and Laplace determinant theorems, system of linear equations; linear transformations, basis and rank; Gaussian elimination; LU and congruent transformations; Gramm-Schmidt; eigenvalues, eigenvectors and similarity transformations; canonical forms; functions of matrices; singular value decomposition; generalized inverses; norm of a matrix; polynomial matrices; matrix differential equations; state space; controllability and observability)

Due to completing a lot of my prereq college courses in high school it has leaked over to me being able to have a lot of electives in my grad program since I was able to finish core courses for my grad program in my undergrad program. Some of these electives will be going to quantum mechanics courses obviously. My questions are do I have the math background after the above courses and the generic core engineering math curriculum (multivariable calc/differential equations calculus etc.) to understand the physics/engineering in the field i am interested in and if not what math courses should i be looking for to fix that, general courses i should take and should I focus more on computer architecture classes or more so physics classes.

Sorry for the wall of text but I feel it was necessary =P and thanks ahead of time for the help!

Oh and if this is the wrong thread (wasnt sure if it belongs in the quantum thread or the academic guidance thread) please let me know :)
 
Physics news on Phys.org
No one can answer that question simply because we don't have any idea what the hardware for a practical quantum computer would look like or even what branch of physics it would be based on(solid state, atomic physics, quantum optics etc ). At the moment there are many different competing technologies that can create very basic gates, but they are very, very different and no single person could ever master all of them.

Hence, at the moment you should focus on understanding the basics.
 
Bit Britain-specific but I was wondering, what's the best path to take for A-Levels out of the following (I know Y10 seems a bit early to be thinking about A-levels, but my choice will impact what I do this year/ in y11) I (almost) definitely want to do physics at University - so keep that in mind... The subjects that I'm almost definitely going to take are Maths, Further Maths and Physics, and I'm taking a fast track programme which means that I'll be taking AS computer science at the end...
After a year of thought, I decided to adjust my ratio for applying the US/EU(+UK) schools. I mostly focused on the US schools before, but things are getting complex and I found out that Europe is also a good place to study. I found some institutes that have professors with similar interests. But gaining the information is much harder than US schools (like you have to contact professors in advance etc). For your information, I have B.S. in engineering (low GPA: 3.2/4.0) in Asia - one SCI...
I graduated with a BSc in Physics in 2020. Since there were limited opportunities in my country (mostly teaching), I decided to improve my programming skills and began working in IT, first as a software engineer and later as a quality assurance engineer, where I’ve now spent about 3 years. While this career path has provided financial stability, I’ve realized that my excitement and passion aren’t really there, unlike what I felt when studying or doing research in physics. Working in IT...
Back
Top