{
"cells": [
{
"cell_type": "markdown",
"id": "2e2023d1",
"metadata": {},
"source": [
"---\n",
"title: Quickstart\n",
"description: Build and visualize a quantum circuit in under two minutes, no sign-in or API key necessary.\n",
"---\n",
"\n",
"{/* cspell:ignore miniconda */}\n",
"\n",
"# Quickstart\n",
"\n"
]
},
{
"cell_type": "markdown",
"id": "a82fbaaa",
"metadata": {
"tags": [
"version-info"
]
},
"source": [
"{/*\n",
" DO NOT EDIT THIS CELL!!!\n",
" This cell's content is generated automatically by a script. Anything you add\n",
" here will be removed next time the notebook is run. To add new content, create\n",
" a new cell before or after this one.\n",
" */}\n",
"\n",
"\n",
" \n",
" The code on this page was developed using the following requirements.\n",
" We recommend using these versions or newer.\n",
"\n",
" ```\n",
" qiskit[all]~=2.3.0\n",
" ```\n",
" \n",
"\n",
"\n"
]
},
{
"cell_type": "markdown",
"id": "7bbbdb4b",
"metadata": {
"jp-MarkdownHeadingCollapsed": true
},
"source": [
"Build your first quantum circuit in under two minutes, on your local environment - no sign-in or API key necessary.\n",
"\n",
"\n",
" * Download Python and use a virtual environment with Qiskit (recommended).\n",
"\n",
" \n",
" Click to expand for more information about **Python**.
\n",
"\n",
" * To install Python, first check the \"Programming Language\" section on the [Qiskit PyPI project page](https://pypi.org/project/qiskit/) to determine which Python versions are supported by the most recent release. For download instructions, see the [Python Beginners Guide.](https://wiki.python.org/moin/BeginnersGuide/Download)\n",
"\n",
" \n",
" These instructions use the standard Python distribution from [pypi.org](https://pypi.org/). However, you can use other Python distributions, such as [Anaconda](https://docs.anaconda.com/anaconda/) or [miniconda](https://docs.anaconda.com/miniconda/), along with other dependency management workflows like [Poetry](https://python-poetry.org/docs/).\n",
" \n",
" \n",
"\n",
" \n",
" \n",
" Click to expand for more information on **virtual environments**.\n",
"
\n",
"\n",
" * Use [Python virtual environments](https://docs.python.org/3.10/tutorial/venv.html) to separate Qiskit from other applications.\n",
" A Python virtual environment is an isolated space to work with Python for a specific purpose — so you can install whatever packages you wish, and set up libraries, dependencies, and so on, without affecting the \"base\" Python environment on your machine.\n",
"\n",
" One important advantage of a virtual environment is that if your Python environment becomes corrupted, you can easily delete it and start over!\n",
"\n",
" Choose a preferred location in which to store information about your virtual environments. Typically they're stored in a directory named `.venv` within each project directory.\n",
"\n",
" To set up a virtual environment, navigate to your project directory and create a minimal environment with only Python installed in it.\n",
"\n",
" \n",
" \n",
" ```shell\n",
" python3 -m venv .venv\n",
" ```\n",
" \n",
"\n",
" \n",
" ```shell\n",
" python3 -m venv .venv\n",
" ```\n",
" \n",
"\n",
" \n",
" ```text\n",
" python -m venv .venv\n",
" ```\n",
" \n",
" \n",
"\n",
" Next, activate your new environment.\n",
"\n",
" \n",
" \n",
" ```shell\n",
" source .venv/bin/activate\n",
" ```\n",
" \n",
"\n",
" \n",
" ```shell\n",
" source .venv/bin/activate\n",
" ```\n",
" \n",
"\n",
" \n",
" If using PowerShell:\n",
"\n",
" ```text\n",
" .venv\\Scripts\\Activate.ps1\n",
" ```\n",
"\n",
" If using Git Bash:\n",
"\n",
" ```text\n",
" source .venv/scripts/activate\n",
" ```\n",
"\n",
" If using command prompt:\n",
"\n",
" ```text\n",
" .venv\\Scripts\\activate\n",
" ```\n",
" \n",
" \n",
" \n",
"\n",
"\n",
"## 1. Install Qiskit\n",
"\n",
"Install the following with your preferred package manager (such as `pip`):\n",
"\n",
"* [`qiskit`](/docs/guides/install-qiskit)\n",
"* [`matplotlib`](https://matplotlib.org/stable/users/explain/quick_start.html)\n",
"* [`qiskit[visualization]`](/docs/api/qiskit/visualization)\n",
"\n"
]
},
{
"cell_type": "markdown",
"id": "c8da788c",
"metadata": {},
"source": [
"## 2. Build your circuit\n",
"\n",
"Open a Python environment, then run this code to build a Bell state (two entangled qubits).\n",
"\n"
]
},
{
"cell_type": "code",
"execution_count": 1,
"id": "86784142",
"metadata": {},
"outputs": [
{
"name": "stdout",
"output_type": "stream",
"text": [
"{'11': 472, '00': 552}\n"
]
}
],
"source": [
"from qiskit import QuantumCircuit\n",
"from qiskit.primitives import StatevectorSampler\n",
"\n",
"qc = QuantumCircuit(2)\n",
"qc.h(0)\n",
"qc.cx(0, 1)\n",
"qc.measure_all()\n",
"\n",
"sampler = StatevectorSampler()\n",
"result = sampler.run([qc], shots=1024).result()\n",
"print(result[0].data.meas.get_counts())"
]
},
{
"cell_type": "markdown",
"id": "9a3180c2-56d7-4224-91fa-13d8cb87d93d",
"metadata": {},
"source": [
"The expected output is a near-even split between '00' and '11'.\n",
"\n"
]
},
{
"cell_type": "markdown",
"id": "a110ac90",
"metadata": {},
"source": [
"## 3. Visualize your results\n",
"\n",
"To get a histogram of your results, add the following code to your program.\n",
"\n"
]
},
{
"cell_type": "code",
"execution_count": 2,
"id": "dc4ff012",
"metadata": {},
"outputs": [
{
"data": {
"text/plain": [
""
]
},
"execution_count": 2,
"metadata": {},
"output_type": "execute_result"
}
],
"source": [
"# Uncomment lines 2 and 8 if you are not using Python in a Jupyter notebook\n",
"# import matplotlib.pyplot as plt\n",
"from qiskit.visualization import plot_histogram\n",
"\n",
"counts = result[0].data.meas.get_counts()\n",
"plot_histogram(counts)\n",
"\n",
"# plt.show()"
]
},
{
"cell_type": "markdown",
"id": "738d4fc4-29c9-46ab-9879-3365e2149d04",
"metadata": {},
"source": [
"This result is a signature of quantum entanglement.\n",
"\n",
"## 4. See what happens\n",
"\n",
"Try changing the code to see how it affects the results. For example:\n",
"\n",
"* Add a third qubit by changing to `QuantumCircuit(3)`, and add a second CX gate with `qc.cx(1,2)`. The measurements should then change to 000 and 111, which means all three of these qubits have been entangled.\n",
"\n",
"* See your results shift by adding `qc.x(1)` to the end of the circuit.\n",
"\n"
]
},
{
"cell_type": "markdown",
"id": "b6062a16",
"metadata": {},
"source": [
"## Next steps\n",
"\n",
"\n",
" * Follow the steps in the [Run your first circuit on hardware](/docs/guides/hello-world) guide to run a circuit on real quantum hardware.\n",
" * Not ready to run on hardware? Start your quantum journey with the [Basics of quantum information](/learning/courses/basics-of-quantum-information) course.\n",
"\n",
"\n"
]
},
{
"cell_type": "markdown",
"metadata": {},
"id": "a1b8767d",
"source": "© IBM Corp., 2017-2026"
}
],
"metadata": {
"kernelspec": {
"display_name": "Python 3",
"language": "python",
"name": "python3"
},
"language_info": {
"codemirror_mode": {
"name": "ipython",
"version": 3
},
"file_extension": ".py",
"mimetype": "text/x-python",
"name": "python",
"nbconvert_exporter": "python",
"pygments_lexer": "ipython3",
"version": "3"
}
},
"nbformat": 4,
"nbformat_minor": 5
}