Improving undergraduate education to prepare the quantum-enabled workforce in quantum sensing
Abstract
We are amidst the second quantum revolution, where quantum objects can be individuallymeasured, manipulated, and controlled. It is believed that this new found capacitywill usher in a novel set of quantum-based technologies that have the potential tobe disruptive. One of the earliest examples is the global positioning system, which usesatomic clocks at the core of its technology. This has led to the development of a newfield of quantum mechanics, known as quantum information science (QIS). QIS has threepillars—quantum computing, quantum communication, and quantum sensing.The US Government has recognized that we need to develop a dynamic and diversequantum-enabled workforce for this second quantum revolution (1). Doing so, requiresone to create robust and effective educational materials that can help train this emergingworkforce. While many initiatives have been focused on quantum computing and quantumcommunication training, limited work has been done in quantum sensing. This workis designed to fill that gap.Georgetown University has already launched a suite of three courses that are availablevia edX to a wide group of students- Quantum Mechanics for Everyone; Mathematical andComputational Methods; and Quantum Mechanics. The first is designed for students whohave finished the junior year in high school, while the remaining two form the core of aconcentration on the foundations of quantum sensing. These courses have been developedusing a new paradigm for quantum education, where we focus first on the conceptualquantum-mechanical ideas of superposition, entanglement, tagging, measurement,and complementarity. Then, we develop the formal theory with an operator-first approachthat emphasizes algebraic skills and a representation-independent formalism (asopposed to a coordinate-space approach using differential equations and position-spacewavefunctions). This lighter cognitive load allows us to present far more experimentsduring the course, and the focus on different measurements creates the foundations forthe quantum sensing pillar of QIS. The course development was informed by educationresearch, but it is not yet an evidence-based curriculum.We propose to continue the study of the effectiveness of this novel pedagogical approachin the courses for achieving their learning goals through analysis of learner responsesto formative assessment items. Our initial analysis has shown that students aresuccessfully learning to explain and predict abstract phenomena. However, we need tobetter understand how students are building mental models and how stable those modelsare across contexts. Mechanistic reasoning is a common strategy used by students andwe plan to investigate its functionality in building and refining mental models of quantumconcepts. This analysis will allow us to identify effective aspects of the curriculum.The Air Force interest in this work revolves around the importance of quantum sensingin next-generation aircraft and in having a well-trained workforce that can contribute toquantum sensing applications that benefit the Air Force. Completion of this proposedwork will push us closer to achieving that goal.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Mar 06, 2024
- Source ID
- FA95502310378
Entities
People
- James K. Freericks
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- Georgetown University
- United States Air Force