Protecting Quantum Circuits Through Compiler-Resistant Obfuscation

TL;DR

This paper introduces a new quantum circuit obfuscation technique using randomized U3 transformations, effectively concealing circuit structure and resisting reverse engineering with minimal performance impact.

Contribution

The paper presents a novel obfuscation method for quantum circuits that maintains functionality while significantly increasing resistance to structural analysis and reverse engineering.

Findings

Achieves over 93% semantic accuracy on QASM circuits

Demonstrates strong resistance to reverse engineering

Minimal runtime overhead during implementation

Abstract

Quantum circuit obfuscation is becoming increasingly important to prevent theft and reverse engineering of quantum algorithms. As quantum computing advances, the need to protect the intellectual property contained in quantum circuits continues to grow. Existing methods often provide limited defense against structural and statistical analysis or introduce considerable overhead. In this paper, we propose a novel quantum obfuscation method that uses randomized U3 transformations to conceal circuit structure while preserving functionality. We implement and assess our approach on QASM circuits using Qiskit AER, achieving over 93\% semantic accuracy with minimal runtime overhead. The method demonstrates strong resistance to reverse engineering and structural inference, making it a practical and effective approach for quantum software protection.