The classes have started, as a result of the scientific and technological collaboration agreement signed between the Universitat de València and the IBM company.

Professor Juan Manuel Orduña Huertas, from the Department of Computer Science, and Francisco Javier Gálvez Ramírez from IBM, coordinate the initiative that is carried out in the ETSE-UV and it consist of 10 face-to-face hours that will be taught throughout the month of December, in sessions of two hours. Students must also dedicate a total of 12 non-classroom hours of additional effort. The course programme includes advanced theoretical and practical concepts such as: quantum mechanics; the physical aspects and the modelling of quantum circuits; the creation of algorithms with IBM Quantum Experience; error correction, encryption and quantum security.

"IBM Quantum Experience” is the quantum computing initiative of IBM for the use of quantum processors of 5 and 16 qubits in the cloud publicly. The difference that makes quantum technology special, and why it has an immensely great potential, is because it also works with the superposition of both states: on and off. This fact takes place because the process does not happen mechanically, but thanks to the rules of quantum physics. When applying quantum 'logic' to the computer world, problems are solved at full speed, in parallel and with a multitude of results for each variable. Bits in quantum computing are called qubits. Like a bit, a qubit represents a basic unit of information, but also a unit of quantum information which is ruled by the rules of quantum physics and therefore the qubit can be 0 or 1, like a bit. The difference is that whereas the state of a bit is either 0 or 1, the state of a qubit can also be a superposition of both.  Thanks to this superposition, this new computation can solve problems that not all conventional computing memory could solve today.

The initiative presentation event was attended by the Principal, Esteban Morcillo; Paula Marzal, director of the ETSE-UV; Elisa Martin, engineer Chief Technology Officer (CTO); Santiago Bollaín, regional director of Levante of IBM; and Francisco Grimaldo, deputy director of the ETSE-UV; in addition to the two coordinators.

Although some researching groups are already using the “IBM Quantum Experience” in their works, the course that is going to be taught at ETSE-UV will be the first in which IBM collaborates with a University in Spain in order to disseminate this initiative and to instruct engineer students in the use of quantum processors.

Quantum computing is emerging as a new computing paradigm in which it will be necessary to use new programming techniques and build the whole algorithmic building from scratch. In this sense, the course is a proactive initiative in the strategic training of researchers and students in a technology that can revolutionise the computing science known up to now.