MIT’s annual quantum hackathon, iQuHACK, is set to take place in 2024 with both in-person and virtual components. The event, aimed at students and early-career professionals, will allow participants to develop and test code on real quantum hardware. The company qBraid has developed an environment for the hackathon containing necessary packages and dependencies. The in-person event will be held on MIT’s campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, while the virtual hackathon will allow global participation. The event is organized by MIT’s Interdisciplinary Quantum Information Science and Engineering (iQuISE) program.
Overview of iQuHACK 2024
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is set to host its annual quantum hackathon, iQuHACK (interdisciplinary Quantum HACKathon), in 2024. The event aims to bring together students from diverse backgrounds, ranging from high school to early-career professionals, to explore improvements and applications of near-term quantum devices. The 2024 edition of iQuHACK will feature both an in-person hackathon, where participants will develop and test their code on real quantum hardware, and a virtual hackathon for broader outreach. Registration for the event is currently open.
iQuHACK Environment and Participation
This year, the iQuHACK environment, which contains all necessary packages and dependencies for project development, has been generously developed by qBraid. The hackathon is a multi-day event where participants work collaboratively to create code-based projects focused on learning about quantum computers and how to use them. Participants in the in-person hackathon will have the opportunity to develop their programs and run them on real quantum hardware. There is also an option to participate remotely on simulator-based challenges.
In-Person and Remote Participation
The in-person hackathon will take place on MIT’s campus in Cambridge, MA, where participants will have access to real quantum hardware to develop and deploy their projects. A remote hackathon will run in parallel, allowing participants to work on simulator-based challenges from anywhere in the world. All lectures and workshops will be available to both in-person and remote participants. The event will be held from February 2-4, 2024, with all iQuHACK related events taking place around MIT InnovationHQ.
Registration and Participation Details
iQuHACK is open to all students (high school, undergraduate, graduate), non-faculty university affiliates (e.g., post-docs), and professionals who register and receive confirmation for the event. Participation in iQuHACK is free, with snacks, drinks, and some meals provided for all registrants during the hackathon. Participants can sign up for the event via the link provided on the iQuHACK page.
Team Formation and Challenges
Participants do not need to have a team prior to the hackathon, as there will be a designated time for team formation during the event. Teams must have at least three members and no more than five members. The actual challenges for the hackathon will be announced on the first day of hacking, with the companies providing challenges listed under the sponsors section.
Preparation and Learning Opportunities
An optional workshop will be offered on February 2nd to provide a basic introduction to quantum processing and how to interface with quantum hardware. Additional resources and tutorials will also be offered to provide a basic introduction to the Quantum SDKs needed to compete in iQuHACK. The goal of iQuHACK is to extend participants’ quantum computing knowledge and give them experience using the world’s most advanced quantum computers.
iQuHACK Organizing Committee
The iQuHACK is organized by MIT’s Interdisciplinary Quantum Information Science and Engineering (iQuISE) program, a student-led organization of graduate students and post-docs with research interests in experimental and theoretical quantum information science, computation, and communication. The organizing committee for iQuHACK 2024 includes Daniela Zaidenberg, Alessandro Buzzi, Victoria Zhang, Cora Barrett, Tamara Sumarac, Gabriel Cutter, John Simonaitis, Andres Lombo, Camille Papon, Odiel Hooybergs, and Ariel Barr.
