isQ: Towards a Practical Software Stack for Quantum Programming

TL;DR

isQ introduces a comprehensive quantum programming software stack that supports advanced features, multiple intermediate representations, and hardware interfacing, aiming to simplify quantum programming for developers.

Contribution

It presents a new quantum programming language and compiler with unique features, flexible compilation options, and hardware integration, advancing practical quantum software development.

Findings

Supports classical control flow like recursion

Enables decomposition of self-defined unitary gates

Provides multiple intermediate representations including OpenQASM 3.0, QIR, and QCIS

Abstract

We introduce isQ, a new software stack for quantum programming in an imperative programming language, also named isQ. The aim of isQ is to make the programmers write quantum programs as conveniently as possible. In particular: 1) The isQ language and its compiler contain many features, including some not well supported by (most) other quantum programming platforms, e.g. classical control flow such as recursion; decomposition of selfdefined unitary gates; and oracle programming and its circuit realization. 2) To make it flexible, an isQ program can be compiled into several kinds of intermediate representation, including OpenQASM 3.0, QIR and QCIS (specially tailored for the superconducting quantum hardware at USTC). 3) Besides interfacing isQ with true superconducting hardware, a QIR simulator is also developed for demonstration and testing of isQ programs.