Quantum Circuit Transformations with a Multi-Level Intermediate Representation Compiler

TL;DR

This paper introduces a quantum compiler using a multi-level intermediate representation (MLIR) to transform quantum circuits, enabling hardware diagnostics and performance testing across different quantum computing platforms.

Contribution

It presents a novel integration of MLIR into quantum compilation for circuit transformation and hardware testing, which was not previously explored.

Findings

MLIR enables efficient quantum circuit transformations.

Mirror circuits can test hardware performance.

Automated transformations facilitate hardware diagnostics.

Abstract

Quantum computing promises remarkable approaches for processing information, but new tools are needed to compile program representations into the physical instructions required by a quantum computer. Here we present a novel adaptation of the multi-level intermediate representation (MLIR) integrated into a quantum compiler that may be used for checking program execution. We first present how MLIR enables quantum circuit transformations for efficient execution on quantum computing devices and then give an example of compiler transformations based on so-called mirror circuits. We demonstrate that mirror circuits inserted during compilation may test hardware performance by assessing quantum circuit accuracy on several superconducting and ion trap hardware platforms. Our results validate MLIR as an efficient and effective method for collecting hardware-dependent diagnostics through automated transformations of quantum circuits.