Quantum computing is no longer a distant theoretical concept — it is rapidly becoming an engineering discipline that demands practical expertise. Yet one of the biggest barriers facing electrical engineers and computer science graduates today is the steep learning curve created by the gap between classical engineering training and the physics-heavy world of quantum hardware. Quantum Computing Architecture and Hardware for Engineers: Step by Step by Hiu Yung Wong addresses this challenge head-on, offering a structured, accessible pathway for engineers who want to understand and design real quantum computer hardware.
Who Is This Book For?
This textbook is written specifically from an engineer’s perspective — a framing that sets it apart from most quantum computing literature, which tends to target physicists or mathematicians. College and graduate engineering students typically lack the quantum mechanics and advanced mathematics background needed to engage with quantum hardware topics. Wong’s book fills this gap by building up the required mathematical and physics foundations in a deliberate, step-by-step manner, without assuming prior exposure to quantum theory.
Whether you are an electrical engineering student, a practicing hardware engineer curious about quantum systems, or a graduate researcher exploring cryogenic and superconducting technologies, this book provides a coherent on-ramp into the quantum computing hardware stack.
Core Topics and Structure
The book is organized into 25 chapters spanning three major areas, each reflecting a key layer of quantum computing architecture:
1. Quantum Computer Overview, Linear Algebra, and Quantum Mechanics
The opening section lays the mathematical groundwork essential for everything that follows. Rather than assuming familiarity with Hilbert spaces, Dirac notation, or quantum operators, Wong introduces these concepts incrementally. Readers gain the linear algebra and quantum mechanics literacy needed to reason about qubits, quantum gates, and quantum circuits — all before touching the hardware details.
This foundation-first approach reflects a deliberate pedagogical choice: engineers who understand why the math is needed are better equipped to apply it meaningfully when designing real systems.
2. Silicon Spin Qubit Architecture and Hardware
Spin qubits — quantum bits encoded in the spin state of individual electrons confined in silicon quantum dots — represent one of the most promising paths toward scalable quantum hardware. This section covers the physical architecture of spin qubit devices, including how they are fabricated, controlled, and measured.
A key strength of this section is how it connects the quantum physics of spin states to the microwave electronics that engineers are already familiar with. The discussion is grounded in DiVincenzo’s criteria — the five requirements a physical system must satisfy to serve as a viable quantum computer — which provides a consistent framework for evaluating hardware design choices.
3. Superconducting Qubit Architecture and Hardware
Superconducting qubits are currently the dominant qubit technology used by leading quantum computing organizations. This section provides an in-depth treatment of superconducting qubit design, including circuit models, Josephson junction physics, and quantum chip design examples.
Notably, the book includes simulation codes and superconducting quantum chip design examples, giving readers hands-on material that bridges theoretical understanding and practical implementation. This is particularly valuable for engineers who want to move beyond conceptual knowledge and begin engaging with real design workflows.
A Unified Framework for Two Qubit Technologies
One of the most distinctive features of this book is its treatment of spin qubits and superconducting qubits within a unified framework. Rather than presenting these as isolated topics, Wong connects them through the shared language of DiVincenzo’s criteria and the common microwave electronics underpinning their control systems. This unified approach gives readers comparative insight into the trade-offs and complementary strengths of each technology — an increasingly important perspective as the quantum hardware landscape evolves.
The DiVincenzo Criteria as a Structural Thread
Throughout the book, DiVincenzo’s five criteria serve as a recurring analytical lens:
- A scalable physical system with well-defined qubits
- The ability to initialize qubits to a known state
- Long coherence times relative to gate operation times
- A universal set of quantum gates
- A qubit-specific measurement capability
By mapping hardware design decisions back to these criteria at each step, the book helps engineers develop a principled understanding of what a quantum computer must do and how specific architectural choices satisfy — or fall short of — those requirements.
About the Author
Hiu Yung Wong is an Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering at San Jose State University and one of the founding faculty members of the university’s Master of Science in Quantum Technology program. He holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from UC Berkeley and brings a rare combination of academic and industry experience to this work — having spent years as a TCAD Senior Staff Application Engineer at Synopsys and as a Technology Integration Engineer at Spansion.
His research spans machine learning applications in semiconductor simulation and manufacturing, cryogenic electronics, quantum computing, and wide bandgap device simulations. He is the recipient of the NSF CAREER Award, the Curtis W. McGraw Research Award from the ASEE Engineering Research Council, and the AMDT Endowed Chair Award, among others. He is also the author of Introduction to Quantum Computing: From a Layperson to a Programmer in 30 Steps, and his body of work includes over 120 papers and 10 patents.
This depth of expertise — spanning device physics, semiconductor manufacturing, and quantum hardware — gives the book an authoritative, practice-oriented voice that is difficult to find elsewhere in quantum computing education.
Key Features at a Glance
- Step-by-step mathematical and physics preparation tailored for engineering readers
- Unified treatment of spin qubits and superconducting qubits
- Simulation codes and superconducting quantum chip design examples included
- DiVincenzo’s criteria used as a consistent framework throughout
- Accessible language suitable for readers with varying technical backgrounds
- 371 pages, 97 color illustrations, published by Springer (2025)
Why This Book Matters Now
The quantum computing industry is entering a critical phase. Hardware companies are scaling up qubit counts, improving coherence times, and beginning to explore error correction at scale. This expansion creates genuine demand for engineers who can contribute to quantum hardware development — not just quantum algorithm design. Yet the educational pipeline has not kept pace.
Books like Quantum Computing Architecture and Hardware for Engineers are essential infrastructure for closing that gap. By meeting engineers where they are — with familiar electronics concepts as the entry point — and systematically building toward the physics of spin and superconducting qubits, Wong has produced a resource that can meaningfully accelerate engineering participation in the quantum computing field.
For students entering quantum technology programs, practicing engineers exploring a career pivot, or research teams looking for a shared technical reference, this book offers a rigorous yet approachable foundation. If you are an engineer ready to engage seriously with quantum hardware, this is the place to start.
Bibliographic Details:
- Title: Quantum Computing Architecture and Hardware for Engineers: Step by Step
- Author: Hiu Yung Wong
- Publisher: Springer Cham
- Publication Date: March 2025 (eBook & Hardcover); March 2026 (Softcover)
- Pages: XIV, 371
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-78219-0
- ISBN (Hardcover): 978-3-031-78218-3 | (eBook): 978-3-031-78219-0