QubitLens: An Interactive Learning Tool for Quantum State Tomography (2505.08056v1)

Abstract: Quantum state tomography is a fundamental task in quantum computing, involving the reconstruction of an unknown quantum state from measurement outcomes. Although essential, it is typically introduced at the graduate level due to its reliance on advanced concepts such as the density matrix formalism, tensor product structures, and partial trace operations. This complexity often creates a barrier for students and early learners. In this work, we introduce QubitLens, an interactive visualization tool designed to make quantum state tomography more accessible and intuitive. QubitLens leverages maximum likelihood estimation (MLE), a classical statistical method, to estimate pure quantum states from projective measurement outcomes in the X, Y, and Z bases. The tool emphasizes conceptual clarity through visual representations, including Bloch sphere plots of true and reconstructed qubit states, bar charts comparing parameter estimates, and fidelity gauges that quantify reconstruction accuracy. QubitLens offers a hands-on approach to learning quantum tomography without requiring deep prior knowledge of density matrices or optimization theory. The tool supports both single- and multi-qubit systems and is intended to bridge the gap between theory and practice in quantum computing education.