Pollard, S. M., & Attarwala, A., & Raigoza, J. (2025, March), An Experience Report on Teaching Quantum Key Distribution to Incoming College Freshmen  Paper presented at 2025 ASEE Southeast Conference , Mississippi State University, Mississippi. 10.18260/1-2--54141

\bibitem{asee_peer_54141}
  Pollard, S. M., \& Attarwala, A., \& Raigoza, J. (2025, March), \emph{An Experience Report on Teaching Quantum Key Distribution to Incoming College Freshmen}
  Paper presented at 2025 ASEE Southeast Conference , Mississippi State University, Mississippi.
  10.18260/1-2--54141

Spencer Matthew Pollard, Abbas Attarwala, and Jaime Raigoza.  "An Experience Report on Teaching Quantum Key Distribution to Incoming College Freshmen".  2025 ASEE Southeast Conference , Mississippi State University, Mississippi, 2025, March.  ASEE Conferences, 2025.  https://peer.asee.org/54141 Internet.  06 Jun, 2025

\bibitem{asee_peer_54141}
  Spencer Matthew Pollard, Abbas Attarwala, and Jaime Raigoza.
  "An Experience Report on Teaching Quantum Key Distribution to Incoming College Freshmen".
  \emph{2025 ASEE Southeast Conference , Mississippi State University, Mississippi, 2025, March}.
  ASEE Conferences, 2025.
  https://peer.asee.org/54141 Internet.  06 Jun, 2025

@INPROCEEDINGS{asee_peer_54141
author = "Spencer Matthew Pollard, Abbas Attarwala, and Jaime Raigoza"
title = "An Experience Report on Teaching Quantum Key Distribution to Incoming College Freshmen"
booktitle = "2025 ASEE Southeast Conference "
year = "2025"
month = "March"
address = "Mississippi State University, Mississippi"
publisher = "ASEE Conferences"
note = {https://peer.asee.org/54141}
number = {10.18260/1-2--54141}
}

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - Quantum information science and engineering (QISE) is rapidly emerging as a critical field, driving the need for scientists and engineers with specialized knowledge in quantum technologies. 
In response to this demand, we organized a three-week summer camp designed to introduce incoming college freshmen to the fundamentals of mathematics, programming, and quantum physics, with a particular emphasis on quantum computing applications. 

This manuscript focuses specifically on the experience of teaching students quantum physics, with supplementary material centered on the BB84 quantum key distribution (QKD) protocol.
The BB84 QKD protocol was introduced during the final three days of the camp. 
On the first day, students covered theoretical concepts about the functionality of the BB84 protocol and learned how to build and use the provided hardware. 
The hardware in question is adapted from the University of Waterloo where the students build these kits in groups to manipulate the polarization of laser light to simulate quantum mechanical random behavior when measuring a bit of value 0 or a bit of value 1. 
The second day was dedicated to hands-on activities that allowed students to simulate quantum key exchanges using the assembled kits. 
The final day culminated in student presentations on various quantum key distribution protocols. 
Compared to similar educational initiatives, our camp offered a broader range of specialized topics, a longer instructional period, and a stronger emphasis on physical, hardware-based activities.

This manuscript presents our experience in detail, describing what worked well, what challenges we faced, and the lessons we learned. 
We share our successes, the obstacles we encountered, and the strategies that we would employ differently in future iterations of the program to better achieve our educational goals in teaching the BB84 QKD protocol.
AU  - Spencer Matthew Pollard
AU  - Abbas Attarwala
AU  - Jaime Raigoza
CY  - Mississippi State University, Mississippi
DA  - 2025/03/09
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - An Experience Report on Teaching Quantum Key Distribution to Incoming College Freshmen
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/54141
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--54141
ER  -