QOSF Quantum Computing Mentorship Program
Quantum Open Source Foundation
A free, competitive programme pairing you with a working researcher for a real three-month project. One of the most effective routes into the field without a physics PhD.
Advanced · 13 resources
Research & careers
How to move from learning to contributing: where papers appear, which open-source projects take contributions, and which mentorship and internship programmes exist.
Why it matters
The field is small and unusually open. Contributing to Qiskit or completing a QOSF mentorship is a realistic route in without a physics PhD.
After this you will be able to
- Keep up with new quant-ph results efficiently
- Contribute to a major open-source quantum project
- Apply to mentorship, internship and summer school programmes
Start here
4 best places to start
Hand-picked and ordered. If you only have time for one, take the first.
arXiv quant-ph
arXiv
Where essentially every quantum result appears first, months before journal publication. High volume — pair it with an alert on specific authors or keywords rather than reading the daily list.
Unitary Fund
Unitary Fund
A non-profit funding open-source quantum software through microgrants, and running unitaryHACK. A genuine on-ramp to paid contribution work.
Quantum
Quantum journal
A respected open-access, community-run journal. Everything is free to read, which makes it the most practical peer-reviewed venue to follow if you lack university access.
Also covering this
9 more resources
Awesome Quantum Software
Quantum Open Source Foundation
A maintained index of essentially every open-source quantum project — SDKs, simulators, compilers, chemistry packages. Where to look when you need a tool this guide does not list.
npj Quantum Information
Nature Portfolio
Nature’s open-access quantum information journal, strong on experimental hardware and error correction results.
PRX Quantum
American Physical Society
The APS open-access journal for high-impact quantum information results. A good curated filter over the arXiv firehose when you want the results that mattered.
Qiskit on GitHub
IBM / open source
The source itself, plus an unusually welcoming contribution process with good-first-issue labels. Landing a Qiskit PR is one of the most credible entry-level signals in the field.
Quanta Magazine — quantum computing coverage
Quanta Magazine
Science journalism that researchers actually respect. The best way to follow real results without either the arXiv firehose or press-release hyperbole.
Quantum Algorithm Zoo
Stephen Jordan
A comprehensive catalogue of every known quantum algorithm with its speedup and primary references. The definitive answer to "has anyone found a quantum algorithm for X?"
Quantum Computing Report
Quantum Computing Report
Industry news, company tracking, hardware roadmaps and job listings. The best single source for what the commercial side of the field is doing.
Quantum Computing Stack Exchange
Stack Exchange
Where to ask when you are stuck, and often where your question has already been answered by a working researcher. Search before posting — the back catalogue is deep.
Quantum Frontiers
Caltech IQIM
Researchers at Caltech’s quantum institute writing about their own work and field culture. Useful for understanding what doing quantum research is actually like day to day.