Primer on the Design and Construction of Quantum Circuits

Quantum algorithms promise up to a superpolynomial factor speedup in computational tasks compared to their classical counterparts. Quantum computers are now approaching sizes where quantum algorithms can be demonstrated. As a result, the implementation of algorithms as quantum circuits has become an important research topic. In this work, we provide an overview of quantum computation and the design of quantum circuits. Properties unique to quantum computation are outlined. We introduce how a quantum algorithm is translated into a circuit and show measures used to assess the performance of quantum circuits.