Getting started with quantum computing: Google launches web qubit game

To mark World Quantum Day, Google has partnered with Doublespeak Games to develop The Qubit Game, which launches on April 14. Google says it's an "interesting journey to build a quantum computer, starting with a single qubit." Google hopes the game and World Quantum Day will help generate some interest in the field.

The game revolves around the qubit, the fundamental building block of a quantum computer. It's simple (you don't need to learn any quantum entanglement math or physics) and the goal is to increase the number of qubits while keeping them cool. The more qubits, the more difficult it becomes. Players need to use the mouse to stop the heat (represented by the jagged red ball) from interfering with the coherence of the qubits. The game showcases the challenges quantum engineers face in their day-to-day work.

It is worth mentioning that in 2021, Google found in research that cosmic rays can cause qubits to decoherence, so the game also reflects the impact of cosmic rays on qubits.

Cosmic rays cause qubit decoherence

Abe Asfaw, Google's director of quantum education, wrote in a blog post: "If you succeed, you'll find new upgrades for quantum computers in the game, complete large research projects, and hopefully be more curious about how we build quantum computers."

The goal of the game is to draw attention to quantum computing, as there seem to be very few people working in the field. To that end, Google is bringing the game to the classroom, hoping to encourage educators to talk about the topic and expand the scope of quantum computing research.

Google Quantum AI Lab is a partner in the National Q-12 Education Partnership, a partnership led by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy to expand access to K-12 quantum learning tools and inspire the next generation of quantum leader. The qubit game will be released as a beta version along with other resources on the website of Google partner Quantime, and will be available for classroom use.

Asfaw writes: “We need more students to make relevant career plans or use quantum computers and understand what it’s like to be a quantum scientist or engineer. To me, that’s what World Quantum Day is about: show everyone quantum computing what it really means and how they can get involved."

Game url:

https://quantumai.google/education/thequbitgame