Development and Validation of an Interactive Learning Tutorial on Quantum Key Distribution Involving Entanglement

We are amid the second quantum revolution due to our ability to coherently control quantum states. Helping students learn foundational concepts relevant for the second quantum revolution is important for preparing them to be leaders of the quantum information revolution. We describe the development, validation and evaluation of a Quantum Interactive Learning Tutorial (QuILT) on quantum key distribution involving entanglement. The protocol used in the QuILT uses entanglement as a resource for quantum key distribution. The QuILT strives to help undergraduate students learn about an exciting application relevant for the second quantum revolution. It actively engages students in the learning process and helps them build links between the formalism and the conceptual aspects of quantum physics without compromising the technical content. The evaluation suggests that the validated QuILT is helpful in improving students’ understanding of relevant concepts.

We thank the National Science Foundation for support.