In this Qubits and Coffee webinar, Dr Alexandre Choquette, Algorithm Scientist at IBM, walks through one of the core near-term quantum algorithms: the Variational Quantum Eigensolver (VQE). The session starts with the basic intuition behind ground states in quantum mechanics, then moves into a hands-on implementation. You’ll see how a molecular problem is mapped onto qubits, how a hybrid quantum–classical loop works, and how the algorithm converges toward the energy of a simple molecule. This is a practical introduction to how quantum algorithms are run on today’s hardware, with a live coding walkthrough you can follow and adapt. What you’ll learn:
- Why ground-state problems matter in chemistry and materials
- How the VQE algorithm works
- The role of hybrid quantum–classical optimization
- A step-by-step implementation using Qiskit
- Current strengths and limitations of near-term algorithms
