The language
of qubits and gates provides a simple and direct way of rigorously
exploring the
foundational concepts
of quantum physics. That is the starting point of this novel approach
to
teaching quantum physics.
Another point of departure is the simple treatment of quantum spin,
that allows this purely quantum
system to be introduced early in the course. This leads naturally
to a discussion on how to
manipulate quantum spin, as a qubit system, in the laboratory. The
resulting course is thus designed to be relevant
not only to the physics undergraduate, but also to
the increasingly interdisciplinary group of
undergraduates interested in nanotechnology and quantum
computation. We have posted below our
material for the first half of an Intro to Quantum Physics
course. We have suggestions about how the
course can then
for the latter half
of the semester.