Student reasoning about quantum teleportation while working with diagrammatic exercises

Our current technological development heavily relies on quantum physics, and there is an increasing demand for a qualified quantum workforce. In many European high school curricula, quantum physics is introduced through a semi-historical approach, a context that, while conveying some key ideas about fundamental shifts in understanding the world, may leave students with little understanding of contemporary quantum technologies and challenges. The current study explores a novel way of introducing the concept of quantum teleportation in Swedish high school physics using a simplified version of ZX-calculus, a diagrammatic formalism to describe quantum theory. We have developed a two-lesson module where students are first introduced to the mathematical formalism of boxes and wires following the structure presented in the textbook Quantum in Pictures. During the second lesson, students are shown how a simplified version of ZX-calculus can be used to describe some quantum phenomena, after which they work on exercises on quantum teleportation in groups. We collect pre- and post-tests, written responses, notes from questions asked during lessons, and video recordings of group discussions to analyze how students comprehend quantum teleportation using diagrammatic formalism. From this analysis, we aim to understand how their understanding of the nature of quantum physics develops throughout the intervention, using the theoretical framework of the variation theory of learning.