Architecture, Algorithms, and Protocols of a Quantum Computer and Quantum Internet

This course provides a full-stack view of how a quantum computer is operated - from the algorithm level down to protocols for the quantum internet. Taught by researchers and engineers from QuTech, the leading European quantum computing research centre at Delft University of Technology, it covers the layers between physical qubits and useful quantum computation that most introductory courses never reach.

Part of the Quantum 101 professional certificate track from Delft University of Technology.

What you’ll learn

• Core quantum algorithm concepts: the primitives that provide quantum speedup and where they apply - phase kickback, quantum Fourier transform, amplitude amplification
• Quantum error correction fundamentals: why physical qubits are noisy, why errors must be corrected without measuring the quantum information, and how stabiliser codes accomplish this
• The surface code: the leading candidate for fault-tolerant quantum computing, its geometry, its error threshold, and why it requires a large number of physical qubits
• Micro-architectures for quantum computers: how a quantum processor is scheduled, how classical control generates gate pulses, and how the instruction set maps to hardware operations
• Quantum compiler fundamentals: transpilation, gate decomposition, and routing circuits to match hardware connectivity constraints
• Quantum assembly languages: OpenQASM and similar intermediate representations that bridge high-level programs and hardware gate sequences
• Quantum internet protocols: how entanglement is distributed across networks, what quantum repeaters do, and what applications this enables
• The relationship between every layer of the quantum computing stack from physical qubit to useful output

Course structure

The course is structured as a series of weekly modules, each focusing on one layer of the quantum computing stack.

Week one introduces quantum algorithms at a conceptual level: what problems benefit from quantum approaches and why. Weeks two and three cover quantum error correction, starting with the noise problem and building up to the surface code. You learn why a logical qubit requires many physical qubits and what the overhead actually is.

Weeks four and five address micro-architecture: how a quantum processor schedules gate operations, handles classical control, and manages qubit connectivity. You learn what a quantum instruction set looks like and how hardware executes it.

Week six covers compilers and assembly languages: how high-level Qiskit circuits are compiled down to hardware-native gate sequences, and what transpilation does.

The final module shifts to the quantum internet, covering entanglement distribution protocols, quantum repeaters, and network applications including quantum key distribution.

Who is this for?

• Students and professionals who have completed Fundamentals of Quantum Information and want to understand the system-level view
• Computer architects and embedded systems engineers exploring quantum computing
• Software engineers interested in quantum compiler and runtime development
• Anyone pursuing the Quantum 101 professional certificate from Delft University

Prerequisites

Completion of Fundamentals of Quantum Information (or equivalent) is expected. You should be comfortable with quantum states, quantum gates, and basic circuit notation. Linear algebra at the level of matrix multiplication and vector spaces is required. Some familiarity with classical computer architecture concepts (instruction sets, pipelines) is helpful but not required.

Hands-on practice

This course includes problem sets requiring:

• Applying error correction protocols to identify and correct specific error patterns
• Tracing through compiler transformations of quantum circuits step by step
• Analysing quantum algorithm performance and resource estimates
• Writing and interpreting simple quantum programs in OpenQASM-style notation

Programming exercises use Python tools compatible with the Quantum 101 software stack. Certificate track learners complete graded assignments and a final assessment.

Why take this course?

Most quantum computing education focuses either on physics (how qubits work) or on algorithms (what you can compute). This course fills the critical gap between them: the system software and architecture that turns physical qubits into useful quantum computers.

This stack-level understanding is increasingly valuable as quantum computing moves from research labs toward real applications. Quantum software engineers, hardware architects, and quantum OS developers all need this material. QuTech’s instructors bring direct experience building real quantum computing systems, making this one of the most practically grounded courses on quantum computer architecture available.

Related tutorials

Practise the concepts from this course with these hands-on tutorials:

• Getting Started with Qiskit - Installation, IBM Quantum account setup, and running circuits on real hardware
• Grover’s Algorithm Explained - Step-by-step implementation of Grover’s search algorithm in Qiskit
• Shor’s Algorithm Explained - How Shor’s factoring algorithm works and why it threatens current encryption