Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
In lesson 3, we move beyond the basics and tackle our first real physics problem: simulating two interacting quantum spins (think tiny magnets) on a quantum computer. This idea goes all the way back to Richard Feynman, who argued that if you want to simulate nature… you need something that behaves like nature.
We’ll build a simple model where spins prefer to anti-align (antiferromagnetism) while a transverse magnetic field tries to flip them—creating superposition and richer quantum behavior.
We'll study what happens using the Qiskit primitives: the Sampler and Estimator. This will allow us to
(1) Find the state of the system
(2) Measure its energy
(3) Understand how this connects to larger algorithms like variational methods
Written lesson: quantum.cloud.ibm.com/learning/en/courses/use-a-qc-today/your-first-quantum-experiment
In lesson 3, we move beyond the basics and tackle our first real physics problem: simulating two interacting quantum spins (think tiny magnets) on a quantum computer. This idea goes all the way back to Richard Feynman, who argued that if you want to simulate nature… you need something that behaves like nature.
We’ll build a simple model where spins prefer to anti-align (antiferromagnetism) while a transverse magnetic field tries to flip them—creating superposition and richer quantum behavior.
We'll study what happens using the Qiskit primitives: the Sampler and Estimator. This will allow us to
(1) Find the state of the system
(2) Measure its energy
(3) Understand how this connects to larger algorithms like variational methods
Written lesson: quantum.cloud.ibm.com/learning/en/courses/use-a-qc-today/your-first-quantum-experiment
