Let's Define Quantum Programming

 

 

Along with the strange discoveries of quantum physics, one of these ideas for how we could use it is quantum computers. Work on quantum computers, which is a pretty good idea, started small and became what it is today. Now we had to take one more step and do quantum programming.

The first studies on this process were made in the early 2000s. However, these studies were more theoretical. This was because quantum computers were not yet technologically ready.

Finally, with the serious development of quantum computers (of course, we are still not at the desired point) we started to create our quantum algorithms.

Today, we can do these algorithms on IBM Quantum Experience, Microsoft Azure Quantum, DWave Leap Cloud, or with quantum development kits. With these platforms, most of which are open source, we can create our quantum algorithms with the Python language, which we use classically and which is the most common programming language.

The fact that such platforms are open source is also a good advantage for producing companies. Because in this way, open-source concrete algorithms that can be applied by physicists, mathematicians, computer engineers, and many curious people around the world will be produced.

The smallest structural unit of quantum computers is the quantum bit (qubit). Qubits consist of a binary system of 0 and 1 like the classical bits. However, unlike classical bits, electron spins take advantage of superposition or entanglement to have both bits 0 and 1 at the same time.

If we look at the Dirac notation (bra-ket) of the qubit, it is expressed as follows.

If we quantify the probability that a qubit will be measured using two numbers, 

｜ 𝛼｜² is expressed as the probability that the qubit will be measured as 0, and 

｜ 𝛽 ｜² is the probability that the qubit will be measured as 1.

In the case of multiple qubits, we should write it as a tensor product.

Once we have defined our qubits, we must apply them in quantum logic gates as in classical programming. Quantum logic gates are quantum circuits that form the basic building blocks of quantum algorithms.

Unlike many classical logic gates, quantum logic gates are reversible. This is an important feature. Because the functions we use to create a quantum algorithm must be unitary, hermitian, and reversible.

You can see some of the quantum logic gates used below.

Stay with physics. :)

 

 

Reference

Peter Selinger. Towards a Quantum Programming Language. Mathematical Structures in Computer Science, 14(4):527–586, August 2004. 10.1017/​S0960129504004256.
https:/​/​doi.org/​10.1017/​S0960129504004256

https://qiskit.org/documentation/getting_started.html