1. Building a Quantum Engineering Undergraduate Program
- Author
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Asfaw, Abraham, Blais, Alexandre, Brown, Kenneth R., Candelaria, Jonathan, Cantwell, Christopher, Carr, Lincoln D., Combes, Joshua, Debroy, Dripto M., Donohue, John M., Economou, Sophia E., Edwards, Emily, Fox, Michael F. J., Girvin, Steven M., Ho, Alan, Hurst, Hilary M., Jacob, Zubin, Johnson, Blake R., Johnston-Halperin, Ezekiel, Joynt, Robert, Kapit, Eliot, Klein-Seetharaman, Judith, Laforest, Martin, Lewandowski, H. J., Lynn, Theresa W., McRae, Corey Rae H., Merzbacher, Celia, Michalakis, Spyridon, Narang, Prineha, Oliver, William D., Palsberg, Jens, Pappas, David P., Raymer, Michael G., Reilly, David J., Saffman, Mark, Searles, Thomas A., Shapiro, Jeffrey H., Singh, Chandralekha, Asfaw, Abraham, Blais, Alexandre, Brown, Kenneth R., Candelaria, Jonathan, Cantwell, Christopher, Carr, Lincoln D., Combes, Joshua, Debroy, Dripto M., Donohue, John M., Economou, Sophia E., Edwards, Emily, Fox, Michael F. J., Girvin, Steven M., Ho, Alan, Hurst, Hilary M., Jacob, Zubin, Johnson, Blake R., Johnston-Halperin, Ezekiel, Joynt, Robert, Kapit, Eliot, Klein-Seetharaman, Judith, Laforest, Martin, Lewandowski, H. J., Lynn, Theresa W., McRae, Corey Rae H., Merzbacher, Celia, Michalakis, Spyridon, Narang, Prineha, Oliver, William D., Palsberg, Jens, Pappas, David P., Raymer, Michael G., Reilly, David J., Saffman, Mark, Searles, Thomas A., Shapiro, Jeffrey H., and Singh, Chandralekha
- Abstract
Contribution: A roadmap is provided for building a quantum engineering education program to satisfy U.S. national and international workforce needs. Background: The rapidly growing quantum information science and engineering (QISE) industry will require both quantum-aware and quantum-proficient engineers at the bachelor's level. Research Question: What is the best way to provide a flexible framework that can be tailored for the full academic ecosystem? Methodology: A workshop of 480 QISE researchers from across academia, government, industry, and national laboratories was convened to draw on best practices; representative authors developed this roadmap. Findings: 1) For quantum-aware engineers, design of a first quantum engineering course, accessible to all STEM students, is described; 2) for the education and training of quantum-proficient engineers, both a quantum engineering minor accessible to all STEM majors, and a quantum track directly integrated into individual engineering majors are detailed, requiring only three to four newly developed courses complementing existing STEM classes; 3) a conceptual QISE course for implementation at any postsecondary institution, including community colleges and military schools, is delineated; 4) QISE presents extraordinary opportunities to work toward rectifying issues of inclusivity and equity that continue to be pervasive within engineering. A plan to do so is presented, as well as how quantum engineering education offers an excellent set of education research opportunities; and 5) a hands-on training plan on quantum hardware is outlined, a key component of any quantum engineering program, with a variety of technologies, including optics, atoms and ions, cryogenic and solid-state technologies, nanofabrication, and control and readout electronics.
- Published
- 2022