To bridge the gap between limited hardware access and the huge demand for experiments for Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum (NISQ) computing system study, a simulator which can capture the modeling of both the quantum processor and its classical control system to realize early-stage evaluation and design space exploration, is naturally invoked but still missing. This paper presents SANQ, a Simulation framework for Architecting NISQ computing system. SANQ consists of two components, 1) an optimized noisy quantum computing (QC) simulator with flexible error modeling accelerated by eliminating redundant computation, and 2) an architectural simulation infrastructure to construct behavior models for evaluating the control systems. SANQ is validated with existing NISQ quantum processor and control systems to ensure simulation accuracy. It can capture the variance on the QC device and simulate the timing behavior precisely (<1% and 10% error for various real control systems). Several potential applications are proposed to show that SANQ could benefit the future design of NISQ compiler, architecture, etc.
To bridge the gap between limited hardware access and the huge demand for experiments for Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum (NISQ) computing system study, a simulator which can capture the modeling of both the quantum processor and its classical control system to realize early-stage evaluation and design space exploration, is naturally invoked but still missing. This paper presents SANQ, a Simulation framework for Architecting NISQ computing system. SANQ consists of two components, 1) an optimized noisy quantum computing (QC) simulator with flexible error modeling accelerated by eliminating redundant computation, and 2) an architectural simulation infrastructure to construct behavior models for evaluating the control systems. SANQ is validated with existing NISQ quantum processor and control systems to ensure simulation accuracy. It can capture the variance on the QC device and simulate the timing behavior precisely (<1% and 10% error for various real control systems). Several potential applications are proposed to show that SANQ could benefit the future design of NISQ compiler, architecture, etc.
Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum (NISQ) computers are being increasingly used for executing early-stage quantum programs to establish the practical realizability of existing quantum algorithms. These quantum programs have uses cases in the realm of high-performance computing ranging from molecular chemistry and physics simulations to addressing NP-complete optimization problems. However, NISQ devices are prone to multiple types of errors, which affect the fidelity and reproducibility of the program execution. As the technology is still primitive, our understanding of these quantum machines and their error characteristics is limited. To bridge that understanding gap, this is the first work to provide a systematic and rich experimental evaluation of IBM Quantum Experience (QX) quantum computers of different scales and topologies. Our experimental evaluation uncovers multiple important and interesting aspects of benchmarking and evaluating quantum program on NISQ machines. We have open-sourced our experimental framework and dataset to help accelerate the evaluation of quantum computing systems.
Quantum computing is at the cusp of showing relevance for real-world problems. However, currently available devices are small in scale, and hardware demonstrations have shown limited applicability to scientific and commercial problems of interest. In this work, we investigate a set of application-specific noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) algorithms varying in size from 4-80 qubits, and use these benchmarks to evaluate trade-offs in the design of trapped ion quantum computing architectures. We have developed a tool-chain consisting of architecture specific compilation and simulation tools and used these tools to target five different candidate trapped ion quantum computing architectures. Using our tool-chain, we can estimate metrics such as application run-times and overhead. Additionally, we use our tools to determine the critical operations of an architecture and to study the sensitivity to architectural constraints in particular implementations. Our tools are designed to be flexible, allowing us to study a broad range of benchmarks, hardware architectures, physical constraints, and operation timing.
Quantum computing has the potential to solve complex problems that are outside the scope of classical systems, making it a standard shifter. Current devices, which are considered as Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum (NISQ) systems, are insufficient in their practical utility due to hardware limitations, error rates, and qubit counts. The dynamic growths wanted to exceed the NISQ era and grow scalable quantum algorithms and architectures that can achieve useful quantum benefit in real-world applications are reviewed in this research. This research gives a comprehensive examination of the complications in scaling quantum systems, adjacent resource efficacy, qubit connectivity, and error correction. In addition to connecting architectural innovations like modular quantum computing, error-resilient circuit design, and distributed quantum systems, the paper provides new hybrid quantum-classical algorithms planned to exploit performance in noisy environments. Results from benchmarking in arenas like machine learning, optimization, and quantum chemistry show how these methods can provide short-term quantum benefit. Lastly, this paper proposes a research roadmap for quantum computing that highlights the requirement of co-designing algorithms, software, and hardware. The goal of this effort is to straighten the progress of quantum systems that can resolve problems in the real world at scale by addressing the inadequacies of NISQ devices and emphasizing scalable solutions.
The rapid advancement of Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum (NISQ) devices has driven the need for efficient design automation tools that can translate complex engineering models into executable quantum circuits. This study explores the development of automated quantum circuit design frameworks focused on gate optimization and noise-aware compilation, enabling practical quantum computation for engineering applications such as optimization, simulation, and control systems. Traditional circuit design methods often fail to account for hardware constraints, decoherence, and gate infidelity, which significantly affect computational accuracy on NISQ devices. To address these challenges, this research introduces a hybrid automation approach combining quantum transpilation, variational circuit pruning, and error-aware synthesis algorithms to enhance circuit reliability and scalability. The framework integrates quantum-classical co-design principles to optimize both logical and physical circuit layers, leveraging hardware-specific calibration data to adapt compilation strategies dynamically. Through simulations and benchmark analysis, the proposed system demonstrates significant improvements in quantum resource utilization, error mitigation, and gate depth reduction compared to conventional compilation methods. This work underscores the growing importance of design automation in quantum engineering, where algorithmic efficiency must be harmonized with physical constraints to realize functional and scalable quantum workflows. By establishing a methodology for gate-level optimization and noise-adaptive design, the study contributes to bridging the gap between theoretical quantum algorithms and real-world engineering implementations within the NISQ computing era.
The transition from classical to quantum computation marks a shift from deterministic binary logic to a probabilistic, entanglement‑driven framework able to address problems beyond classical reach. Today’s Noisy Intermediate ‑ Scale Quantum era features devices that lack full error correction yet already point toward larger, modular systems designed for fault‑tolerant operation. This paper examines the evolving paradigm shift from classical and NISQ ‑ era machines toward practical fault‑tolerant quantum computing, focusing on how advances in physical qubit technologies, control architectures, and error‑correction strategies are converging to bridge noisy prototypes and scalable, useful machines. We synthesize insights from historical semiconductor scaling trends, contemporary roadmaps from leading institutions and industry, and emerging modular designs with real‑time error decoding. Our analysis shows that while challenges around decoherence, connectivity, and classical co‑processing remain, coordinated progress in hardware, control, and software is laying a coherent foundation for future quantum platforms. The work concludes that quantum computing is maturing into a strategically significant paradigm, poised to redefine the limits of computation in simulation, optimization, and secure communication.
Abstract Complex quantum networks are not only hard to establish, but also difficult to simulate due to the exponentially growing state space and noise-induced imperfections. In this work, we propose an alternative approach that leverages quantum computers and noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) devices as simulators for quantum networks, including noisy devices, channels, and protocols. Rather than treating noise as an undesired feature to be mitigated, we show how imperfections in quantum hardware can be exploited to simulate real-world communication devices under realistic conditions beyond classical simulation capabilities. Our approach allows NISQ devices with modest noise to simulate more imperfect devices, enabling large-scale, detailed quantum network simulations with exact error models. It also improves over direct implementation and benchmarking of real networks, as waiting times, locality, and memory restrictions do not apply. This framework offers flexibility, scalability, and precision, showing that NISQ devices can serve as natural testbeds for complex quantum networks.