Quintuple: A tool for introducing quantum computing into the classroom

Abstract

In May 2016 IBM released access to its 5-qubit quantum computer to the scientific community, its "IBM Quantum Experience" since acquiring over 60,000 users from students, educators and researchers around the globe. In the time since the "IBM Quantum Experience" became available, a flurry of research results on 5-qubit systems has been published derived from the platform hardware. Quintuple is an open-source object-oriented Python module implementing the ideal simulation of "IBM's Quantum Experience" hardware. Quintuple quantum algorithms can be programmed and run via a custom language fully compatible with the "IBM's Quantum Experience" or in pure Python. Over 40 example programs are provided with expected results, including Grover's Algorithm and the Deutsch-Jozsa algorithm. Quintuple's implementation is aimed at students and educators wishing to incorporate quantum computing into the classroom and enables students to follow a quantum computing calculation step-by-step and to verify hand calculations. For these students and educators, Quintuple contributes to the study of 5-qubit systems and the development and debugging of quantum algorithms for deployment on the "IBM Quantum Experience" hardware.