Quantum programming

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Quantum programming refers to the process of designing and implementing algorithms that operate on quantum systems, typically using quantum circuits composed of quantum gates, measurements, and classical control logic. These circuits are developed to manipulate quantum states for specific computational tasks or experimental outcomes. Quantum programs may be executed on quantum processors, simulated on classical hardware, or implemented through laboratory instrumentation for research purposes.

When working with quantum processor-based systems, quantum programming languages provide high-level abstractions to express quantum algorithms efficiently. These languages often integrate with classical programming environments and support hybrid quantum-classical workflows. The development of quantum software has been strongly influenced by the open-source community, with many toolkits and frameworks—such as Qiskit, Cirq, PennyLane, and qBraid SDK—available under open licenses.^[1][2]

Quantum programming can also be used to model or control experimental systems through quantum instrumentation and sensor-based platforms. While some quantum computing architectures—such as linear optical quantum computing using the KLM protocol—require specialized hardware, others use gate-based quantum processors accessible through software interfaces. In both cases, quantum programming serves as the bridge between theoretical algorithms and physical implementation.