Practical Guide to Using a Quantum Computer (Based on Materials from the International Quantum Center at CERN, Switzerland) # 7

Abstract This laboratory work presents a practical implementation of Grover’s search algorithm using the Qiskit framework. The material is based on educational resources developed by the International Quantum Center at CERN (Switzerland) and is intended to provide hands-on experience with amplitude amplification and oracle-based quantum search. In Laboratory Work No. 7, participants construct Grover’s algorithm step by step. The implementation begins with defining a function that initializes the quantum registers and prepares the initial stage of the circuit. The output qubit associated with the oracle is set to the state ∣1⟩|1\rangle∣1⟩ to enable phase inversion through the phase kickback mechanism. Hadamard gates are then applied to create a uniform superposition over the search space. The oracle is designed to mark the target state by applying a phase shift, effectively flipping the sign of the amplitude corresponding to the solution. This is followed by the diffusion operator (inversion about the mean), which amplifies the probability amplitude of the marked state. The Grover iteration—composed of the oracle and diffusion operator—is repeated an optimal number of times to maximize the probability of measuring the correct result. The laboratory exercise emphasizes the principles of quantum amplitude amplification, circuit modularization, oracle construction, and measurement-based verification. By executing the algorithm on simulators and cloud-accessible quantum hardware, participants observe the quadratic speedup of Grover’s algorithm compared to classical linear search methods. This practical guide bridges theoretical understanding of quantum search with executable quantum circuits, reinforcing the operational aspects of quantum algorithm design within modern quantum computing