So far in my journey, the technical work I most look forward to is designing and building the high-frequency or mixed-signal hardware that directly interfaces with quantum systems. This comes from the trial and error system that I have conducted where I have dabbled in hardware, software, and theory. When I realized hardware is what I truly enjoyed, I switched out of Computer Engineering and into Electrical Engineering. Because I know hardware is what I'm passionate about, I tried to get involved in as many hardware projects as possible that are applicable to quantum computing. I was essentially filling out my roadmap without even realizing. Thanks to this community, I am now bridging the gaps for areas that I have neglected or missed. This is why my senior design project is heavily involved with RF engineering, and I started a new research project involving RF engineering to build a system that interfaces with the atomic experiments. I have found through this process that getting in the lab and getting things done is what I truly enjoy doing. Building the actual hardware that solves the tough experimental challenges, like control, readout, and noise suppression even when they are a headache.

I have spent the last few weeks pondering this question so I can really come up with a genuine question. I know passion alone is not enough to get me through the door. So I took this time as an opportunity to really answer this question honestly, and relate it to my current experience. My passion for quantum computing comes from my dual background in both physics and electrical engineering. My physics coursework gave me the fundamental understanding of quantum information theory and qubits. But my electrical engineering side, especially my research, is what gives me the “how”, and that's what truly excites me. For the past year, I’ve been designing the specific hardware to control sensitive atomic physics experiments. I’m not just running simulations; I’m building FPGA-based control systems from the ground up to solve real-world problems, like suppressing 60 Hz line noise and designing analog feedback loops for precise timing. I have also recently started an RF engineering project where I am designing and building RF electronics to control laser power/ antennas for the manipulation of atomic states. Alongside that my senior design project where I am building a qubit readout system using an FPGA and RF DDS signal generation. This experience showed me that the biggest barrier to scalable quantum computing isn't just theory; it's a massive hardware engineering challenge. It's a problem of noise isolation, signal integrity, and real-time control at an extreme scale. I want to work in quantum computing because I want to be one of the engineers in the trenches solving those specific, difficult hardware problems. I am open to any opportunity in quantum computing, but I am mainly focused on IBM. The reason I'm so focused on IBM is that, frankly, no one else is closer to solving those hardware challenges. The work on quantum hardware is exactly the kind of engineering I've been preparing for and want to be a part of.

Hey everybody! I am hoping to get some guidance on which path I should take to break into quantum computing. My primary plan is to pursue an online master’s in ECE with Purdue university. They have a few different specialization tracks. These tracks are: 1. Automatic Control 2. Communications, Networking, Signal and Image Processing 3. Computer Engineering 4. Fields and Optics 5. Microelectronics and Nanotechnology 6. Schweitzer Power and Energy Systems 7. VLSI and Circuit Design Here is also the link to their website: https://engineering.purdue.edu/ECE/Academics/Graduates/MASTERS/POS Which path do you guys recommend I take to help maximize the chances of breaking into quantum computing? The other plan I have in mind is to pursue the OMSCS from Georgia tech which is a lot cheaper than Purdue’s path. But then that would reserve me to software only. Whereas the online master’s in EE gives me more flexibility for both a software path and hardware path into quantum computing. Please, I would love to hear any insights you guys can offer! Thank you

I know someone at my university who I have been communicating with about this community. Her name is Alivia, and she is studying physics. She currently is doing Nuclear research at BNL where she works with very large data sets from the relativistic heavy ion collider. She wants to know how she can translate the technical skills that she has learned working with a large group of people to quantum or IBM in general.

Hey everyone, with only 75 days left in 2025, I found myself doing some reflection this morning on how I could make them most impactful. 💪 Comment below: What’s the most important thing you’ll make progress toward in the last 75 days of 2025? I split mine up into 2 main categories: work and life. For work, I will dedicate more time to improving the usefulness and value of this community to all of you here. - be active on here nearly every day - Finish the v1 roadmap course and ship modules fast for feedback - Post a youtube video weekly For life, I will explore deeper depths of my mental health and motivations to build a more present, peaceful, and clear life. I’d love to hear one thing from you guys on how you will make the last 75 days of 2025 most impactful for your personal growth. It doesnt necessarily need to be quantum related. Often, “life stuff” like focusing on your mental health can provide more benefits overall than always focusing on “work stuff”.