FET: NSF Workshop on Software-Hardware Co-design for Quantum Computing

In this workshop, experts from both industry and academia will gather together and discuss the key challenges that need to be addressed for an end-to-end quantum computing infrastructure. The importance of taking a computer engineering perspective will be advocated. It is envisioned that classic computer engineering techniques (at both software and hardware levels) have the potential to enable transformative scientific and industrial progress for quantum computing.

The key is to figure out the grand challenges in the new quantum context. This workshop will function as a hub to spur a large, synergistic, and convergent effort for building a common technological ecosystem that quantum-enabled technologies and classical technologies can both inhabit for mutual benefit and progress in the long term. A strong steering committee has been built with researchers working in quantum computing and related topics.

Four of the steering committee members are from industry and the other four are from academia. The steering committee has outlined a series of topics of interest, an agenda, and prospective speakers and panelists for the workshop. The committee will also prepare a final report that captures the key findings of the workshop.

A set of interesting and emerging research topics and prospective speakers for the workshop is listed as follows: (1) Quantum computer architecture design and optimization, (2) Approaches to fault tolerance and error mitigation on near-term systems and beyond, (3) Design automation and software for quantum computing, and (4) Enabling early applications with hardware-software co-design. The workshop will also provide an opportunity for researchers to work out an educational plan for developing resources for the full spectrum of workforce pipeline for the national ecosystem construction around quantum computing.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.