Fermilab regularly makes fundamental scientific discoveries and is a world leader in quantum physics. In 2019, it launched the Fermilab Quantum Institute, which conducts world-class research at the leading edge of quantum computing and information science, laying the groundwork for critical physics calculations to be performed on quantum computers. As such, Fermilab is an ideal place to bring together particle physics and quantum computing as two complementary fields.
During the summer of 2018, three of us in the Fermilab Theoretical Physics Department applied to mentor two high school teachers, Anastasia Perry and Ranbel Sun. With STEM education in mind, we thought this was an ideal opportunity to share the exciting and disruptive technology of quantum computing.
After surveying the available resources on quantum computing, we discovered that while popular science articles and advanced textbooks existed in abundance, the material for high school students was decidedly lacking.