QC5.1 Qubit Technologies and Physical Platforms

This skill introduces the main physical implementations of qubits and the engineering infrastructure required to operate them. Learners survey leading qubit technologies, such as superconducting qubits, trapped ions, neutral atoms, and photonic systems, and compare their key characteristics. Emphasis is placed on physical requirements such as cooling, isolation, control hardware, and scalability constraints, rather than the physics of the device.

• QC1.3 Multi-Qubit Systems and the Gate Model of Quantum Computation

• Identify major physical implementations of qubits, including superconducting, trapped-ion, neutral-atom, and photonic platforms.
• Describe the basic physical and engineering requirements of different qubit technologies, such as cryogenic cooling, vacuum systems, and optical control.
• Compare qubit technologies in terms of coherence times, gate speeds, connectivity, and scalability.
• Explain how hardware characteristics influence system architecture and algorithm suitability.