Intel Releases Quantum Software Development Kit Version 1.0 to Expand Developer Ecosystem :: Intel Corporation (INTC) (Image credit- Local Today)
Version 1.0 of Intel’s Intel® Quantum Software Development Kit was launched today after the beta version was introduced in September 2022. (SDK).
The SDK is a full quantum computer in simulation that can also communicate with Intel’s quantum hardware, such as the Horse Ridge II control chip and, when it becomes available this year, the quantum spin qubit chip.
The kit includes an intuitive programming interface written in C++ utilizing an industry-standard low-level virtual machine (LLVM) compiler toolchain, and it enables programmers to create quantum algorithms for simulation.
As a result, Intel’s SDK provides easy integration with C/C++ and Python programs, increasing its adaptability and customizability.
The SDK’s version 1.0 offers a user-friendly C++-based programming interface, giving classical computing programmers a familiar language to work with when collaborating with quantum programmers.
A quantum runtime environment designed for running hybrid quantum-classical algorithms is also included in the kit. There are two target backends available for developers to choose from when simulating qubits: Intel hardware or a larger number of generic qubits.
The first backend is Intel® Quantum Simulator, an open-source, high-performance generic qubit simulator (IQS). A single node of the IQS backend can support 32 qubits, while several nodes can support up to 40 qubits.
The second is a target backend that enables compact model simulation of Intel silicon spin qubits while simulating Intel quantum dot qubit hardware. With the help of Intel’s qubits, a massive quantum computer can be constructed using the company’s experience in silicon transistor production.
Users can create modest workloads using the SDK to identify the system architecture features required by the quantum computer to run algorithms quickly and precisely on qubits. Moreover, Intel is internally utilizing the SDK to concurrently design quantum hardware and software, speeding up system development.
The SDK provides a platform that can be expanded and customized, giving developers more freedom when creating quantum applications.
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Additionally, it offers users the ability to compare compiler files, a feature common in the development of classical computing, to assess how effectively an algorithm is optimized for the compiler. Users can access lower layers of abstraction and the source code, gaining knowledge of how a system stores data.
