fAQ by SandboxAQ

Welcome to season 2 finale of fAQ! For this season, Tai-Danae and Adam focused on a single topic: What is actually happening inside a quantum computer? By the end of this season, you'll have a better understanding of the "how" of quantum computing. So get ready to go beyond the theory and dig into what's actually going on these machines that harness the fundamental forces of the universe! In this sixth episode, we continue our exploration into DiVincenzo's fifth criterion for functional quantum computers: "Measurement of individual qubits". Specifically, we dig into what it means to "measure" something, in both the everyday context and in the quantum world. You might end up being surprised how similar those are and how not-strange measurement is in the quantum context...well at least some parts of those measurements! Oh, and we talk about how you, yes YOU, can work towards winning a Nobel Prize using the fAQ comment section ;-) Want to get in touch? Write us at faq-podcast@sandboxaq.com Host Bios: Tai-Danae Bradley is a research mathematician at SandboxAQ. She earned a PhD in mathematics from the CUNY Graduate Center and is creator of the mathematics blog, Math3ma, and a former cohost of PBS Infinite Series. Adam Green is the Head of Science Education at SandboxAQ. He earned a PhD in ecology and evolutionary biology from the University of Rochester and was the Director of US Academic Content at Khan Academy before joining Sandbox. Resources mentioned on this episode: https://pennylane.ai/qml/demos/tutorial_trapped_ions https://pennylane.ai/qml/demos/tutorial_sc_qubits https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-does-the-quantum-world-cross-over/ Want to learn more about what SandboxAQ does? Check out our blog: https://www.sandboxaq.com/blog

Heads-up, you might want to check out the video version of fAQ this time, there are a lot of graphics that will help you through this topic!Welcome to season 2 of fAQ! For this season, Tai-Danae and Adam will be focusing on a single topic: What is actually happening inside a quantum computer? By the end of this season, you'll have a better understanding of the "how" of quantum computing. So get ready to go beyond the theory and dig into what's actually going on these machines that harness the fundamental forces of the universe! In this fifth episode, we continue our exploration into DiVincenzo's fourth criterion for functional quantum computers: "A universal set of quantum gates". Specifically, we look at two-qubit gates and really dig into how quantum entanglement works and how to create it among trapped ions. And along the way, you'll hear about what old-school Nintendo cheat codes and not-stealing M&Ms has to do with all of this! Want to get in touch? Write us at faq-podcast@sandboxaq.com Host Bios: Tai-Danae Bradley is a research mathematician at SandboxAQ. She earned a PhD in mathematics from the CUNY Graduate Center and is creator of the mathematics blog, Math3ma, and a former cohost of PBS Infinite Series. Adam Green is the Head of Science Education at SandboxAQ. He earned a PhD in ecology and evolutionary biology from the University of Rochester and was the Director of US Academic Content at Khan Academy before joining Sandbox. Resources mentioned on this episode: https://pennylane.ai/qml/demos/tutorial_trapped_ions https://pennylane.ai/qml/demos/tutorial_sc_qubits Want to learn more about what SandboxAQ does? Check out our blog: https://www.sandboxaq.com/blog Want an video version of this podcast? Check it out at: https://youtu.be/dntGyI8DtYI

Welcome to season 2 of fAQ! For this season, Tai-Danae and Adam will be focusing on a single topic: What is actually happening inside a quantum computer? By the end of this season, you'll have a better understanding of the "how" of quantum computing. So get ready to go beyond the theory and dig into what's actually going on these machines that harness the fundamental forces of the universe! In this fourth episode, we dig into DiVincenzo's fourth criterion for functional quantum computers: "A universal set of quantum gates". What is a "gate"? How is superposition an example? For that matter, what is superposition, functionally? And how can we get qubits into superposition inside a trapped-ion quantum computer? Come along for the exciting ride in this supersized episode! Want to get in touch? Write us at faq-podcast@sandboxaq.com Host Bios: Tai-Danae Bradley is a research mathematician at SandboxAQ. She earned a PhD in mathematics from the CUNY Graduate Center and is creator of the mathematics blog, Math3ma, and a former cohost of PBS Infinite Series. Adam Green is the Head of Science Education at SandboxAQ. He earned a PhD in ecology and evolutionary biology from the University of Rochester and was the Director of US Academic Content at Khan Academy before joining Sandbox. Resources mentioned on this episode: https://pennylane.ai/qml/demos/tutorial_trapped_ions Want to learn more about what SandboxAQ does? Check out our blog: https://www.sandboxaq.com/blog Want an video version of this podcast? Check out: https://youtu.be/6KJKKmDEYSk

Welcome to season 2 of fAQ! For this season, Tai-Danae and Adam will be focusing on a single topic: What is actually happening inside a quantum computer? By the end of this season, you'll have a better understanding of the "how" of quantum computing. So get ready to go beyond the theory and dig into what's actually going on these machines that harness the fundamental forces of the universe! In this third episode, we dig into DiVincenzo's second criterion for functional quantum computers: "The ability to initialize the state of the qubits to a simple fiducial state". What does that mean? And do trapped ion quantum computers pass that test? What about superconducting quantum computers? And what to ukuleles have to do with this?! Want to get in touch? Write us at faq-podcast@sandboxaq.com Host Bios: Tai-Danae Bradley is a research mathematician at SandboxAQ. She earned a PhD in mathematics from the CUNY Graduate Center and is creator of the mathematics blog, Math3ma, and a former cohost of PBS Infinite Series. Adam Green is the Head of Science Education at SandboxAQ. He earned a PhD in ecology and evolutionary biology from the University of Rochester and was the Director of US Academic Content at Khan Academy before joining Sandbox. Resources mentioned on this episode: https://pennylane.ai/qml/demos/tutorial_trapped_ions https://www.wsfcs.k12.nc.us/cms/lib/NC01001395/Centricity/Domain/7788/Ch%206%20The-Quantum-Mechanical-Model-of-the-Atom.pdf.pdf Want to learn more about what SandboxAQ does? Check out our blog: https://www.sandboxaq.com/blog Want a video version of this podcast? Check it out here: https://youtu.be/JlRCid9QSqI

Welcome to season 2 of fAQ! For this season, Tai-Danae and Adam will be focusing on a single topic: What is actually happening inside a quantum computer? By the end of this season, you'll have a better understanding of the "how" of quantum computing. So get ready to go beyond the theory and dig into what's actually going on these machines that harness the fundamental forces of the universe! In this second episode, we dig into DiVincenzo's first criterion for functional quantum computers: "A scalable physical system with well-characterized qubits". What does that mean? And do trapped ion quantum computers pass that test? And by the way, what's a trapped ion!? Learn about all of that and more...including a little something about Pringles! Want to get in touch? Write us at faq-podcast@sandboxaq.com Host Bios: Tai-Danae Bradley is a research mathematician at SandboxAQ. She earned a PhD in mathematics from the CUNY Graduate Center and is creator of the mathematics blog, Math3ma, and a former cohost of PBS Infinite Series. Adam Green is the Head of Science Education at SandboxAQ. He earned a PhD in ecology and evolutionary biology from the University of Rochester and was the Director of US Academic Content at Khan Academy before joining Sandbox. Resources mentioned on this episode: https://pennylane.ai/qml/demos/tutorial_trapped_ions Want to learn more about what SandboxAQ does? Check out our blog: https://www.sandboxaq.com/blog Want an video version of this podcast? Check it out on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Caarn3QECY8

Welcome to season 2 of fAQ! For this season, Tai-Danae and Adam will be focusing on a single topic: What is actually happening inside a quantum computer? By the end of this season, you'll have a better understanding of the "how" of quantum computing. So get ready to go beyond the theory and dig into what's actually going on these machines that harness the fundamental forces of the universe! In this first episode, we set the stage for the rest of the season by talking about why, if at all, you might want to care about quantum computing. Then we start to address the big elephant in the room whenever quantum computing comes up: hype! And finally, we describe the framework we'll be using for the rest of the season: DiVincenzo's criteria for a quantum computer. Want to get in touch? Write us at faq-podcast@sandboxaq.com Host Bios: Tai-Danae Bradley is a research mathematician at SandboxAQ. She earned a PhD in mathematics from the CUNY Graduate Center and is creator of the mathematics blog, Math3ma, and a former cohost of PBS Infinite Series. Adam Green is the Head of Science Education at SandboxAQ. He earned a PhD in ecology and evolutionary biology from the University of Rochester and was the Director of US Academic Content at Khan Academy before joining Sandbox. Resources mentioned on this episode: DiVincenzo's 2000 paper outlining the criteria for a functional quantum computer: https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0002077 Want to learn more about what SandboxAQ does? Check out our blog: https://www.sandboxaq.com/blog Want to watch a video version of this podcast? Check it out on the SandboxAQ YouTube Channel: https://youtu.be/EUE86I1veDE

Based on your feedback, we're excited to announce the upcoming season 2 of the fAQ podcast! Want to chat with us? Write us at faq-podcast@sandboxaq.com Want to watch this episode on YouTube? Find it at https://youtu.be/jEnNXOUMSpw

In this episode, we’re continuing to talk about quantum applications. You may have heard that quantum computer will break all passwords and security on the Internet...is that true?! How would that work? Tai-Danae and Adam are joined again by physicist and SandboxAQ's VP of engineering, Stefan Leichenauer to discuss how most encryption works online right now, and how quantum computers will affect that. Want to get in touch? Write us at faq-podcast@sandboxaq.com Host Bios: Stefan Leichenauer is the VP of Engineering at SandboxAQ. He earned a PhD in physics from UC Berkeley in 2011 and has a research background in string theory. Tai-Danae Bradley is a research mathematician at SandboxAQ. She earned a PhD in mathematics from the CUNY Graduate Center in 2020 and is creator of the mathematics blog, Math3ma, and a former cohost of PBS Infinite Series. Adam Green is the Head of Science Education at SandboxAQ. He earned a PhD in ecology and evolutionary biology from the University of Rochester in 2011 and was the Director of US Academic Content at Khan Academy before joining Sandbox. Resources mentioned on this episode: Dominic Walliman videos on YouTube, including The Map of Quantum Computing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UlxHPIEVqA Quantum Country: https://quantum.country/ Grant Sanderson's linear algebra course on YouTube: https://www.3blue1brown.com/topics/linear-algebra Eddie Woo's "The RSA encryption algorithm" on YouTube, part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zahvcJ9glg Want to learn more about what SandboxAQ does? Check out our blog: https://www.sandboxaq.com/blog Want a video version of this podcast? Go to: https://youtu.be/6qXA7u7jUxU

In this episode, we’re moving from theory to applications. Where are qubits, superposition, and entanglement used in the real world? In this episode, Tai-Danae and Adam are joined by physicist Stefan Bogdanovic to discuss one example — nitrogen vacancy centers in diamonds — and how they are used as quantum sensors for medical applications and more. Want to get in touch? Write us at faq-podcast@sandboxaq.com Chapters: 0:00 Entanglement is a fuel! 3:24 Adam’s overview of the quantum tech ecosystem 5:34 A rough sketch of NV centers 8:51 Introducing special guest Stefan Bogdanovic 12:30 Stefan’s explanation of NV centers 14:10 Why are NV centers useful? How are they produced? 19:01 How is an NV center a sensor? 28:35 Different materials have different pros/cons 30:15 Superposition plays a role with NV centers 33:09 Entanglement can also play a role! 36:46 Other applications of NV centers 43:05 What’s in the future for NV centers? 45:32 NV centers and quantum computers? 49:01 Closing thoughts Host Bios: Adam Green is the Head of Science Education at SandboxAQ. He earned a PhD in ecology and evolutionary biology from the University of Rochester in 2011 and was previously the Director of US Academic Content at Khan Academy before joining Sandbox. Tai-Danae Bradley is a research mathematician at SandboxAQ. She earned a PhD in mathematics from the CUNY Graduate Center in 2020 and is creator of the mathematics blog, Math3ma, and a former cohost of PBS Infinite Series. Want to learn more about what SandboxAQ does? Check out our blog: https://www.sandboxaq.com/blog Want an video version of this podcast? Go to: https://youtu.be/HNalDyK_qFs

What is quantum entanglement, why do physicists care so much about it, and how is it used in real-world applications like quantum computing and quantum communication? In this episode, Tai-Danae and Adam discuss these questions and more with physicist Adam Lewis, Technical Lead on SandboxAQ’s Simulation and Optimization team. Want to get in touch? Write us at faq-podcast@sandboxaq.com Chapters:00:00 P90X for your brain, and introductions. 01:20 What is entanglement? 02:42 A nice intro to entanglement via a quote from Brian Greene. 07:50 What is entanglement, revisited. 09:42 Entanglement is real. 10:33 Is entanglement fully understandable? 13:23 Welcome Adam Lewis, PhD. 18:37 Entanglement - what is it, revisited again. 23:50 A history of the term "entanglement", including what it actually is. 28:36 But could there be another force at play here? 30:35 Is there an example of entanglement in our everyday lives? 33:40 Data that supports entanglement. 35:18 Do all things quantum involve entanglement? 36:53 More examples of applying the concept of entanglement. 42:24 Why is the 2-photon state not vulnerable to the same critique of the 1-photon state? 43:17 The realism postulate. 43:33 The localism postulate. 43:50 Bell's inequality. 44:50 Violating Bell's inequality. 46:47 Realism, revisited. 47:34 Localism, revisited. 49:26 Summing up the current state of knowledge around entanglement? 51:20 Do we know how entanglement actually works? 52:06 Why are some scientists fascinated with entanglement? 53:00 Entanglement as a quantum resource. 55:12 Applications of entanglement outside of quantum computing. 1:01:44 Future topics! Polarization, Bell's theorem and Bell's inequality. 1:02:48 Wrapping up our ideas of entanglement. Resources mentioned in this episode: Brian Greene’s The Fabric of the Cosmos: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fabric_of_the_Cosmos Want to learn more about what SandboxAQ does? Check out our blog: https://www.sandboxaq.com/blog

What is superposition?! And what does it have to do with qubits and quantum technology? Tai-Danae and Adam are joined by Stefan Leichenauer, VP of Engineering at SandboxAQ to make sense of this fundamental property of the quantum world. Want to get in touch? Write us at faq-podcast@sandboxaq.com Chapters: 00:00 Introductions 00:26 Recap from ep. 01 01:18 What is superposition? 02:56 Etymology of superposition 07:50 Ok, what's the actual definition of superposition? 12:07 But what about the randomness? 12:40 Tying a bow on one way to think about superposition 15:20 Let's bring in an expert! 16:33 How did Stefan think about superposition when he first learned about it? 22:10 An explanation of superposition to quantum and math novices 24:09 Real data explained by superposition - inherent randomness 26:01 Quantum observations vs non-quantum observations - randomness in outcomes 28:18 Does superposition mean something is doing two things at the same time? 30:59 A concrete example of superposition - the electron cloud 34:39 Historical use of the word superposition 36:02 Yes, but what is the position of the thing that's in superposition? 41:17 How can you measure the position of an electron? 44:49 What other data does superposition explain? 48:37 How can we apply superposition to create tools and application? 52:15 Final words of wisdom about learning superposition 54:39 It's a long journey to fully grasp these concepts! Want to learn more about what SandboxAQ does? Check out our blog: https://www.sandboxaq.com/blog Want an audio-only version of this podcast? Search your favorite podcast provider for "fAQ by SandboxAQ".

Is a bit just a 0 or 1? What's the difference between a bit and qubit...and why should you care? Join Adam and Tai-Danae as they discuss the history of ‘bits’ and explore both the concept and physicality of qubits, including examples and applications. Want to get in touch? Write us at faq-podcast@sandboxaq.com Chapters: 00:00 Introductions 01:15 What are bits? 02:45 Wait, why are we talking about bits?! 04:21 Concepts of bits vs physical bits 05:55 Etymology of the word 'bit' 11:25 Bits as physical objects 14:37 What is computation, really? 18:24 How are qubits similar to bits? 19:50 Etymology of the word 'qubit' 22:25 Tai-Danae's notes on qubits 28:08 Qubits as physical objects 30:10 Quantum engineering is amazing! 32:07 Superconducting qubits 34:58 NV Centers 39:53 Qubits are not just for quantum computing 41:42 Qubits are fragile...is that bad? 44:01 Other examples of qubits 44:47 How do you make qubits? 47:51 Superposition! More next time! Resources mentioned in the show: A Mathematical Theory of Communication by C. E. Shannon: https://people.math.harvard.edu/~ctm/home/text/others/shannon/entropy/entropy.pdf The Pattern On The Stone by W. Daniel Hillis https://www.basicbooks.com/titles/w-daniel-hillis/the-pattern-on-the-stone/9780465066933/ Learn more about different types of qubits on this great site hosted by the University of Waterloo: https://uwaterloo.ca/institute-for-quantum-computing/quantum-101/quantum-information-science-and-technology/what-qubit And can you spot the point where it's clear Tai-Danae can see into the future?! Comment below! Keep in mind this was recorded weeks ago :-) Want to learn more about what SandboxAQ does? Check out our blog: https://www.sandboxaq.com/blog

Welcome to Sandbox AQ’s podcast, fAQ, hosted by Adam Green and Tai-Danae Bradley. This new series features casual conversations on topics in AI and quantum technologies targeted at general audiences. All curious humans are invited to join! Want to get in touch? Write us at faq-podcast@sandboxaq.com Want to learn more about SandboxAQ? Check out our blog at https://www.sandboxaq.com/blog Chapters: 00:00 Introductions 00:45 What is SandboxAQ? 01:13 What motivated this podcast? 02:13 What you should expect from this podcast 02:53 What sorts of topics will we cover? 06:07 What's coming up in the first real episode?