00Quantum start-here

Quantum is a workflow discipline before it is a hardware purchase.

Learn the minimum model, run a small circuit locally, inspect the source and result, then use a QPU only when physical hardware can answer a question the simulator cannot. Post-quantum security follows a separate engineering programme.

Run the first Bell workflowChoose your route
Quantum workflow connecting a question, circuit, generated source, simulator run, and evidence record
FIG 01 · Question → circuit → source → run → evidence
What quantum computing is
A way to prepare, transform, and measure quantum states for particular computational structures, usually inside a wider classical workflow.
What it is not
A machine that tries every answer at once, accelerates every problem, removes classical computation, or proves advantage merely by completing a hardware run.

01 · Choose by outcome

Learning, software development, research, enterprise evaluation, and PQC migration are different routes. The tool list comes after the outcome.

01

Complete beginner

Outcome · A first circuit you can predict and explain

Run the first workflow
02

Student or educator

Outcome · An assessable lab record and portfolio artifact

Follow the 30-day route
03

Software developer

Outcome · Readable source with a simulator baseline

Understand the tool boundary
04

Research team

Outcome · A reproducible experiment record

Choose a research route
05

Enterprise team

Outcome · A pilot that can support an investment decision

Plan a guided programme
06

Security leader

Outcome · A risk-prioritized migration starting point

Open the PQC track
Open the minimum vocabulary
A quantum information unit described by a state. Measurement produces a classical result; it is not a classical bit that reveals both answers.
The mathematical description used to predict measurement probabilities. It changes through operations and cannot be read completely from one measurement.
An ordered representation of quantum operations and measurements. Real execution also needs a target, compilation choices, and run settings.
One repetition of a measured circuit. Repeated shots estimate an outcome distribution but do not remove hardware or modelling error.
Classical software that models quantum behavior. It is the first route for logic checks, though large simulations can become expensive.
Physical quantum hardware affected by supported instructions, topology, calibration, noise, queue, and access terms.
Rewriting a circuit to match a target's instruction set, connectivity, and optimization choices.
A defined execution interface. SamplerV2 returns samples from measured circuits; EstimatorV2 estimates expectation values for circuit-observable inputs.

02First Bell workflow

IBM’s quickstart reviewed on 11 August 2026 uses Qiskit 2.5-compatible packages and a local StatevectorSampler, so the first Bell circuit needs no provider login or API key.

q0 |0⟩ ── H ── ● ── M
q1 |0⟩ ─────── X ── M
Open the official Qiskit quickstart Open QFlow Academy
Bell workflow recordPrediction, source, run, and interpretation remain reviewable together.
  1. 01input

    Write the question first: after a Bell-state circuit, you expect strongly correlated 00 and 11 measurements rather than every bit string.

    Retain · One-sentence prediction

  2. 02process

    Prepare two qubits, apply a Hadamard gate to the first, use it as the control for a CX gate on the second, then measure both.

    Retain · Two-qubit circuit

  3. 03process

    Find the circuit, registers, H, CX, measurement, shot count, execution route, and result object in the generated or written Qiskit source.

    Retain · Reviewed source

  4. 04gate

    Use a local StatevectorSampler before creating a provider dependency. Repeat with different shot counts and keep the raw counts.

    Retain · Simulator result record

  5. 05process

    Describe the expected correlation, sampling variation, and why a successful Bell run is not evidence of useful quantum advantage.

    Retain · Short interpretation

  6. 06output

    Save the question, workflow, source, environment, route, settings, result, interpretation, limitations, and one deliberate change.

    Retain · Reviewable evidence packet

03 · Thirty days

A month is enough for a sound first workflow, not mastery. Measure progress by what you can predict, build, compare, explain, and reproduce.

Thirty-day learning pathEach week ends with one inspectable checkpoint.
  1. 01input

    Bits and qubits, state, gates, circuits, measurement, probability, and the limits of common analogies.

    Week 1 · You can predict and explain a small circuit without code.

  2. 02process

    Bell states, interference, shot-based results, local simulation, Qiskit structure, and OpenQASM inspection.

    Week 2 · You can connect a circuit diagram, source, and result record.

  3. 03process

    Oracle-based search, variational workflows, classical optimization loops, baselines, noise, and repeated trials.

    Week 3 · You can describe an algorithm without claiming automatic speedup.

  4. 04output

    Problem framing, simulator validation, optional QPU qualification, run metadata, interpretation, limitations, and revision.

    Week 4 · You have a portfolio artifact with method, evidence, and limits.

Weekly practice detail

Week 1 · Build the mental model. Sketch single-qubit state changes, read small circuits, and explain why one measurement is not a probability distribution.

Week 2 · Make circuits executable. Build Bell and small interference workflows, vary shots, compare results, and annotate the source.

Week 3 · Learn algorithm patterns. Inspect a small Grover or QAOA example and identify what remains classical, what is quantum, and what must be compared.

Week 4 · Produce a reviewable project. Complete one bounded workflow and ask another person to reproduce or challenge the conclusion.

04 · Execution gate

Local reference primitives accept abstract circuits. IBM Quantum hardware workflows need a selected target, ISA-compatible circuits and observables, provider access, and a recorded execution context.

01
Comparison record
02
Comparison record
03
Comparison record
04
Comparison record
Compare simulator and QPU conditions

Simulator · The prediction, circuit, source, parameters, and result parsing work in a controlled local route.

QPU · Do not submit yet if logic, measurement, or result handling is still changing.

Simulator · Use local reference primitives for ideal logic checks; use a noise-aware simulator when a modelled device comparison is useful.

QPU · A QPU is justified when topology, ISA, calibration, noise, queue, or physical-device behavior can change the decision.

Simulator · Record circuit width, depth, observables, shots or precision, and the expected output contract.

QPU · Select a target, transpile to its ISA, inspect layout and depth, and confirm the primitive and execution mode.

Simulator · Keep the reproducible baseline and expected result before introducing provider state.

QPU · Verify account, instance, plan, region, queue, usage budget, data boundary, job retention, and the condition that stops more runs.

An SDK, a provider platform, and a workflow product can work together without becoming the same product or transferring entitlement between them.

Open-source SDK
Provider platform
Neura Parse product
Role boundaries and IBM roadmap context

Qiskit · Build circuits and operators, use local reference primitives, transpile for a target, and work with execution results.

Qiskit does not itself grant an IBM Quantum account, instance, plan, allocation, or QFlow product capability.

IBM Quantum · Controls its platform, accounts, instances, plans, Runtime services, available QPUs, access terms, and hardware documentation.

Availability and entitlement are provider-controlled and must be checked live before a lab or paid run.

QFlow Studio · Connects visual workflow intent, generated source views, local simulator routes, run history, Academy labs, and reviewer-safe evidence.

It does not replace Qiskit or IBM Quantum. Provider routes remain status-labelled; specialized routes and qOS remain planned or in development.

IBM’s 2026 Technology Atlas describes goals around quantum-plus-HPC advantage examples, Nighthawk scaling, profiling tools, and an error-correction decoder prototype. IBM marks the roadmap as current intent that may change or be withdrawn. These are IBM objectives, not achieved Neura Parse results or a QFlow capability claim.

Neura Parse is an IBM Partner Plus member. That status does not imply endorsement, IBM Quantum Network membership, a certified QFlow integration, bundled QPU access, privileged access, or research validation.

Read IBM's roadmap

05 · Neura Parse routes

Choose the public surface that matches the work. A product feature, research result, and consulting programme do not inherit each other’s evidence or maturity.

Route descriptions and evidence boundaries

Commercial visual quantum workflow and learning product connecting canvas, generated Qiskit, Cirq and OpenQASM views, local simulation, run history, Academy, and evidence.

Boundary · Current, beta, validation-only, preflight, credential-test, and planned routes remain explicitly separate.

Community Edition research on quantum belief updates and data association, including two public 2026 arXiv papers reporting IBM Heron experiments.

Boundary · The latest study treats the QPU as a calibrated belief-update service inside a classical planning loop; it is not a total-runtime or quantum-advantage claim.

Typed quantum IR, backend abstraction, signed manifests, hybrid scheduling, and fault-tolerant promotion research.

Boundary · qmesh composes with Qiskit, Cirq, and PennyLane; it is not positioned as their replacement.

Quantum memory-augmented neural-network research with theoretical, simulation, and hardware modes plus a cost check before hardware execution.

Boundary · Mode and cost boundaries must remain visible; a simulated or hardware run is not an automatic performance claim.

Education programmes, repeatable research workflows, and bounded enterprise pilots with baselines, resource estimates, evidence gates, and handover records.

Boundary · The service structures an evaluation; it does not promise a useful quantum advantage or provider entitlement.

Open the sector readiness routes
Quantum AI Telecom Finance Defense assurance Health evidence

06A separate security programme

NIST’s PQC project, updated 5 August 2026, says organizations should begin applying FIPS 203, 204, and 205 now. Its transition context points toward removing quantum-vulnerable algorithms from NIST standards by 2035, with high-risk systems moving earlier.

Technical illustration of post-quantum cryptography migration and standards
FIG 02 · Inventory and crypto agility precede migration waves
Post-quantum migration programmeInventory and ownership precede staged migration.
  1. 01input

    Connect cryptography to systems, data lifetimes, protocols, certificates, libraries, hardware, suppliers, and accountable owners.

  2. 02process

    Rank long-lived data, externally exposed protocols, critical services, hard-to-update devices, and supplier dependencies.

  3. 03gate

    Test ML-KEM for key establishment and ML-DSA or SLH-DSA for signatures where profiles and product support are appropriate.

  4. 04output

    Make algorithms replaceable while preserving security and operations; retain interoperability, rollback, performance, and audit evidence.

NIST crypto-agility context

NIST’s final CSWP 39upd1, updated 29 June 2026, supersedes the original CSWP 39 page and defines crypto agility as the ability to replace and adapt cryptography while preserving security and ongoing operations.

Plan quantum-safe engineering Read the current NIST project status Open the standards guide

07 · Answers and evidence

Selected answers replace the previous FAQ wall. Mutable software, roadmap, access, and standards details should be checked at the primary source before a course, pilot, or paid run.

Q01What is quantum computing in simple terms?

Quantum computing processes information with controllable quantum systems. A useful introduction follows how states are prepared, transformed by operations, and measured—not the misleading claim that a machine simply tries every answer at once.

Q02Does quantum computing make every problem faster?

No. Quantum algorithms address particular problem structures under specific assumptions. Evaluation still needs a problem mapping, classical baseline, realistic resource estimate, and total-workflow evidence.

Q03Do I need a physics degree or a quantum computer to start?

No. A careful circuit model, basic algebra and probability, and a normal computer are enough for the first local labs. Deeper hardware, algorithm, and error-correction work adds more physics and mathematics as the questions demand it.

Q04What should my first quantum project be?

Build a Bell-state workflow: predict correlated outcomes, create H plus CX and measurements, run locally, inspect the source, vary shots, explain the distribution, and retain the evidence.

Q05When should I run on real quantum hardware?

Use a QPU when physical target behavior can change the answer and the simulator workflow already passes. Record the target, ISA circuit, access, queue, usage, calibration context, job ID, evidence need, and stop condition.

Q06Does QFlow Studio replace Qiskit or IBM Quantum?

No. Qiskit provides independent software tools, IBM controls its platform and hardware access, and QFlow Studio is a Neura Parse workflow, learning, and evidence layer around those kinds of tools and routes.

Q07Is Neura Parse's IBM Partner Plus status an IBM Quantum endorsement?

No. It is a company-level ecosystem programme status. It does not imply IBM endorsement, IBM Quantum Network membership, a jointly developed or certified QFlow integration, bundled hardware access, privileged access, or research validation.

Q08Is post-quantum cryptography the same as quantum computing?

No. PQC uses classical computers and quantum-resistant cryptographic standards. Learning quantum circuits and migrating enterprise cryptography are related strategic topics but different engineering programmes.

Last reviewed 11 August 2026. Drafts and roadmap items are labelled as such; product and provider access can change independently.

Source group 01IBM Quantum and Qiskit

Current SDK, local simulation, hardware workflow, compilation, provider, and roadmap context.

  1. 01
    Qiskit local quickstart

    Reviewed 11 August 2026: the official local Bell quickstart recommends Qiskit 2.5.0-compatible packages and uses StatevectorSampler without a provider login.

  2. 02
    Exact simulation with Qiskit SDK primitives

    Official boundary between local reference primitives and target-specific ISA preparation for Runtime workflows.

  3. 03
    Run a first circuit on IBM Quantum hardware

    Official account, target selection, ISA transpilation, primitive execution, job, and analysis workflow.

  4. 04
    Qiskit transpiler documentation

    Official current API context for rewriting circuits to target topology and supported instructions.

  5. 05
    IBM Quantum 2026 Technology Atlas

    Updated March 2026. IBM labels roadmap items as current intent, goals, and objectives that can change or be withdrawn.

  6. 06
    IBM Partner Plus programme

    Official programme overview. Neura Parse membership is company-level and does not establish product certification, IBM Quantum Network status, endorsement, or hardware entitlement.

Source group 02NIST post-quantum standards

Final standards, migration status, and current crypto-agility guidance for the separate PQC programme.

  1. 01
    NIST Post-Quantum Cryptography project

    Updated 5 August 2026. NIST says organizations should begin applying the principal standards now and describes the transition toward 2035.

  2. 02
    FIPS 203 · ML-KEM

    Final NIST module-lattice-based key-encapsulation mechanism standard, published 13 August 2024; its page carries a November 2025 potential-update notice.

  3. 03
    FIPS 204 · ML-DSA

    Final NIST module-lattice-based digital signature standard, published 13 August 2024; NIST added a minor-errata planning note on 31 July 2026.

  4. 04
    FIPS 205 · SLH-DSA

    Final NIST stateless hash-based digital signature standard, published 13 August 2024.

  5. 05
    NIST CSWP 39upd1 · Crypto agility

    Final guidance updated 29 June 2026; it supersedes the withdrawn original CSWP 39 page.

  6. 06
    2026 PQC updates to PIV working drafts

    NIST's 12 June 2026 preliminary PIV materials illustrate incremental, dual-stack transition work; they are not final public drafts.

Source group 03Neura Parse product and research records

Primary product documentation and the two public QANTIS paper records retained with their claim boundaries.

  1. 01
    QFlow Studio documentation

    Product documentation for visual workflows, Academy, provider routes, runs, evidence, security, and APIs.

  2. 02
    QANTIS foundational paper · arXiv:2603.00785v1

    Submitted 28 February 2026. The paper reports IBM Heron experiments and explicitly does not claim wall-clock advantage.

  3. 03
    QANTIS sequential belief-update paper · arXiv:2607.06760v1

    Submitted 7 July 2026. The QPU is framed as a calibrated belief-update service inside a classical planning loop.

Start locally, then make every provider boundary and review gate explicit.

Start learning Design a quantum programme