Introduction What is quantum computing? Qubits
Read

Qubits

Quantum information is richer than conventional information. Whereas digital information is measured in bits, quantum information is measured in quantum bits, or qubits. The fundamental unit of quantum information is the qubit. A bit of information is either 0 or 1. But a qubit of information is much more crowded. It can be pictured as a sphere.

From one bit to one qubit

Qubits encode quantum information. To fully describe the information encoded in a qubit we need to specify two numbers, roughly describing "how much" the qubit is 1 and how much it is 0.

Whenever we represent a number in a computer we will specify it to a particular precision — 32 bits is a pretty conventional approach. So, to represent the state of a qubit we need about 64 bits.

Apply
z |0⟩ x y
θ (angle)
0π
ϕ (angle)
0π

The problem

The cost and complexity of quantum education

The demand for quantum skills is rising, but learning resources are scattered and expensive.

The lack of accessible, high-quality training keeps many talented professionals and students from entering the field.

That’s why we launched Black Opal. Our award-winning platform, developed by world-leading experts, replaces traditional textbooks with an interactive, visual learning experience. Sign up to master the fundamentals at your own pace and gain a definitive competitive edge in the new quantum economy.

Introducing Black Opal

The leading quantum education platform

Everything you need to upskill for the quantum era

Black Opal’s interactive, visual learning platform is designed to build the skills needed for a career in quantum.

The curriculum takes you from foundational physics to executing circuits on real quantum hardware. This hands-on approach ensures you gain the practical experience needed to apply quantum computing to real-world problems and advance your career in the industry.
PLATFORMS
Web-based, any device
PREREQUISITIES
None – beginner friendly
CONTENT
Eight learning modules and
over 250 interactive activities
CERTIFICATION
Q-CTRL issued and verified

Curriculum

A comprehensive quantum curriculum

Black Opal's curriculum takes you from zero to quantum-ready through eight skills, hundreds of interactive activities, and a hands-on quantum simulator.
8
Skills
250+
Activities
2
Levels
Zero
Prerequisites

Fundamentals

Learn the fundamental concepts of quantum computing.
Beginner
Intermediate

Future-proof your career

Update description to Black Opal is for engineers, developers, and data scientists who want to upskill for the quantum era.

INDIVIDUALS

Black Opal for Individuals

Self-paced quantum learning for engineers, computer scientists, or anyone curious about the field. Explore Black Opal at your own pace with an individual account.
Get started
Enterprise

Black Opal for Enterprise

Single-click deployment via secure invite link or LMS

Course customization, cohort management, and progress monitoring

Detailed performance analytics and dedicated customer support

Industry-recognized certification and shareable microcredentials

Educators

Black Opal for Educators

Best-in-class interactivity, mobile support, and self-paced structure

Build or augment a syllabus, assign coursework, and assess progress

Managed learner communities for hybrid and remote learning

Industry-recognized certification and shareable microcredentials

Specifications

Product features

Learn quantum computing with the industry-leading quantum education platform.

Learn
Organizations
Individual
BEGINNER
INTERMEDIATE
ADVANCED
QUANTUM APPLICATIONS
COURSE CUSTOMIZATION
INSTRUCTOR-LED TRAINING (PAID ADD-ON)
INTERACTIVE ACTIVITIES
500+ activities
250+ activities
Practice
PERSONALIZED REVISION SESSIONS
PROJECTS AND EXAMS
VISUAL CODING ENVIRONMENT
Support
AI ASSISTANT
DEDICATED CUSTOMER SUCCESS MANAGER
Report
COMPLETION BADGES
CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION
Professional
Fundamentals
CO-BRANDING AND CUSTOMIZABLE AWARDS
DETAILED USAGE ANALYTICS
Administer
SEAT-BASED LICENSING
LMS INTEGRATION
MULTI-FACTOR AUTHENTICATION

Loved by our community

Students who engaged with Black Opal as an active companion resource significantly boosted knowledge retention and ultimately understanding. Some of them even engaged further with quantum computing by choosing a final-year project in that field.

Dr David Benoit
Senior Lecturer in Molecular Physics and Astrochemistry
,
University of Hull, UK

A well-structured program that introduces complex quantum computing concepts through intuitive visualisations with concise and clear narrative contents, and interlinked hands-on exercises that reinforce the key points. The self-paced nature of the training is well suited for working professionals.

Tarlan Mammadov
Head of Data Strategy
,

The activities are interactive, and visualizing the actions of gates on the Bloch sphere is very thorough. There are a lot of perks of the pro subscription!

Tushar Pandey
PhD Student
,

Black Opal offers beautiful visualizations explaining the fundamentals of quantum computation. The language used is easy to comprehend with no complexity, and easily relatable.

Sagar Mothkuri
PhD Student
,

Black Opal is needed as quantum computing moves from the domain of quantum physicists to a wider audience and applications. This level of learning helps to demystify quantum computing and fuel the quantum conversation.

Prof. James Rabeau
Honorary Professor in Physics
,

I highly recommend this for any level of background. It’s a hands on way to learn the basics of quantum computing. I’m going through the lessons for a second time.

Russ Fein
Investor
,

Latest news and updates

Get started
Start your quantum journey