Getting Started with Quantum Computing using Qiskit
Hola Amigos. I am SR, back with another cool blog. So currently, my vacations are going on and before my vacations, when my exam time was going on, I had planned a few things that I would do during my vacations (you may think that this planning distracted me during my exams, but Nah, I am strong 💪). Quantum Computing is one of those things. Actually, there are many more exciting things on my list, which include AI, DSA, and so on. Now this list contains all those things which make me feel amazing and so, was confused about where to start with (actually, I am still confused a little 😅, but I will get over it). So after spending a few days trying everything in a single day and getting a taste of all the topics, I decided to start with two topics:
- Quantum Computing
- DSA
Now in this blog, we will be considering only the first point. But before we start with Quantum Computing, what is Quantum anyways?!
Now Quantum, in general means the smallest unit of something. If you are familiar with Planck's Theory of Quanta, it says:
Different atoms and molecules can absorb or emit energy in discrete quantities only.
It means that atoms and molecules cannot absorb or emit energy in units whose size is less than that of quanta. It is similar to the unit charge that we study under Electrostatics in Physics which cannot be further divided into more units (No, electrons are not made of Quarks, only protons and neutrons are). Or the 'dx' element (the infinitesimally small element) in Maths which cannot be further divided. Also, you may have heard of 'Quantum of Solace' 😉. But what is so special about the Quantum Level? You see, things are different when we consider the bulk level and the quantum level. The properties of matter - their magnetic properties, their color, their characteristics, et cetera change when we go from the bulk phase to the microscopic level. At the Quantum Level, the different atoms and molecules start showing their individual properties which may be different from the characteristics that the bulk shows .eg. if right now, I ask you to think of an object made of gold and ask you to tell me the color of that object, you would probably say, bright-yellow or golden and that's right. But if now I were to tell you that gold nanoparticles are red in color, you would probably be surprised to know that. This is the reason why we try to study and understand the properties of particles at the Quantum Level. We are trying to understand their properties and use them to make our life more efficient or to enhance our knowledge of Physics, Chemistry, and other subjects.
Now a lot of amazing and exciting research has already been done in various fields such as Quantum Mechanics, Quantum Chromodynamics, and many others. One of them is Quantum Computing. Okay, so all the definitions and related topics to Quantum are done but how to start with Quantum Computing?
To start with, there are two quite popular resources related to Quantum Computing. These are:
- IBM's Qiskit
- Google's Cirq
I chose IBM's Qiskit, why?, well I would suggest you refer to this wonderful video by Anastasia Marchenkova in which she has explained the differences in detail:
To start programming, I am using Google Collab's Jupyter Notebook. So, no need to install and set up the Anaconda Environment. Also, I am referring to these rich resources:
- IBM Qiskit's free textbook: Qiskit Textbook
- Qiskit's video series by Abraham Asfaw: Quantum Pong — Programming on Quantum Computers Season 1 Ep 2
The video series then walks you through all the basics and other required topics and how you can contribute to the Quantum Computing Community.
I have just started this journey and am excited about it, hope you are too. Let me know in the comments about your journey if you have already started. Well, guess what, I have encountered a problem already, do help me you know how to solve it: Error while running circuit.draw(output='mpl'). Anyways, I gotta get going. See ya 😁.
Regards,
Happy Coding,
SR
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