Quantum applications are usually hybrid, i.e., they require executing quantum programs and classical programs, e.g., performing pre- or post-processing tasks. To benefit from advantages, such as robustness, reliability, or scalability, these programs can be orchestrated using quantum workflows. However, modeling quantum-specific tasks in workflows is complex and requires deep technical and mathematical knowledge. Furthermore, additional steps have to be performed before executing the workflow, e.g., the deployment and binding of the needed services. In this demonstration, we present the MODULO framework, providing a workflow modeling extension easing the modeling of quantum workflows. It comprises an integrated toolchain to graphically model quantum workflows, transform and package them in a self-contained archive, and automatically deploying the workflows together with their required services.
Quantum applications are usually hybrid, i.e., they require executing quantum programs and classical programs, e.g., performing pre- or post-processing tasks. To benefit from advantages, such as robustness, reliability, or scalability, these programs can be orchestrated using quantum workflows. However, modeling quantum-specific tasks in workflows is complex and requires deep technical and mathematical knowledge. Furthermore, additional steps have to be performed before executing the workflow, e.g., the deployment and binding of the needed services. In this demonstration, we present the MODULO framework, providing a workflow modeling extension easing the modeling of quantum workflows. It comprises an integrated toolchain to graphically model quantum workflows, transform and package them in a self-contained archive, and automatically deploying the workflows together with their required services.
Abstract Quantum applications are hybrid, i.e., they comprise quantum and classical programs, which must be orchestrated. Workflows are a proven solution for orchestrating heterogeneous programs while providing benefits, such as robustness or scalability. However, the orchestration using workflows can be inefficient for some quantum algorithms, requiring the execution of quantum and classical programs in a loop. Hybrid runtimes are offered to efficiently execute these algorithms. For this, the quantum and classical programs are combined in a single hybrid program, for which the execution is optimized. However, this leads to a conceptual gap between the modeling benefits of workflow technologies, e.g., modularization, reuse, and understandability, and the efficiency improvements when using hybrid runtimes. To close this gap, we introduce a method to model all tasks explicitly in the workflow model and analyze the workflow to detect parts of the workflow that can benefit from hybrid runtimes. Furthermore, corresponding hybrid programs are automatically generated based on the quantum and classical programs, and the workflow is rewritten to invoke them. To ease the live monitoring and later analysis of workflow executions, we integrate process views into our method and collect related provenance data. Thus, the user can visualize and monitor the workflow in the original and rewritten form within the workflow engine. The practical feasibility of our approach is validated by a prototypical implementation, a case study, and a runtime evaluation.
Quantum computing has the potential to significantly impact many application domains, as several quantum algorithms are promising to solve problems more efficiently than possible on classical computers. However, various complex pre- and post-processing tasks have to be performed when executing a quantum circuit, which require immense mathematical and technical knowledge. For example, calculations on today's quantum computers are noisy and require an error mitigation task after the execution. Hence, integrating classical applications with quantum circuits is a difficult challenge. In this paper, we introduce a modeling extension for imperative workflow languages to enable the integration of quantum computations and ease the orchestration of classical applications and quantum circuits. Further, we show how the extension can be mapped to native modeling constructs of extended workflow languages to retain the portability of the workflows. We validate the practical feasibility of our approach by applying our proposed extension to BPMN and introduce Quantum4BPMN.
Building quantum applications requires deep knowledge of quantum computing and software engineering. Hence, an abstraction layer reducing the complexity for non-experts is needed. Patterns are an established concept for the abstract description of proven solutions to recurring problems. Therefore, the quantum computing patterns, a pattern language for the quantum computing domain, can be used to define the building blocks and the structure of hybrid quantum applications. Furthermore, concrete software artifacts can be associated with patterns to solve the corresponding problem. However, these software artifacts are usually heterogeneous, e.g., using different data formats. Quantum workflows enable a robust and scalable orchestration of these heterogeneous software artifacts. However, manually modeling and configuring such quantum workflows is a complex, error-prone, and time-consuming task. To overcome this issue, we present an approach that automates the generation and adaptation of quantum workflows using the quantum computing patterns. We provide an architecture realizing our approach, a corresponding prototype, as well as an evaluation comprising different use cases, a runtime comparison, and a user study.
The integration of quantum computing technologies with established classical infrastructure represents a transformative advancement in computational capabilities. This manuscript addresses architectural frameworks enabling seamless orchestration between quantum and classical environments through container-based methodologies. Kubernetes extensions provide standardized interfaces for managing hybrid workloads while ensuring reproducibility across experimental iterations. Custom resource definitions facilitate quantum job specifications with appropriate hardware requirements, while specialized operators handle complex scheduling demands inherent to quantum processing. Implementation architectures demonstrate enhanced resource utilization through dynamic allocation mechanisms that accommodate both paradigms simultaneously. Practical evaluations reveal substantial improvements in workflow automation when orchestration platforms coordinate quantum simulators alongside cloud-based quantum processing units. The extensibility of container-based solutions proves particularly valuable for enterprises navigating evolving quantum hardware landscapes. The technological foundation described establishes a robust framework for quantum-classical integration while addressing security and deployment considerations. Findings indicate strategic advantages in adopting containerized approaches for quantum workflow management, particularly regarding experimental reproducibility and resource optimization across heterogeneous computing environments.
Hybrid quantum-classical workflows are expected to underpin practical quantum computing applications, yet the quantum and HPC communities lack a shared framework for reasoning about where and when their integration requirements matter most. Such a framework must separate two distinct levels of analysis: the application level, where communication overhead affects runtime performance, and the real-time level, where it determines feasibility. To address this, we introduce a runtime model that decomposes workflow execution into quantum compute, classical compute, and communication costs. At the application level, a communication-to-computation ratio from this decomposition quantifies whether a workflow is communication-bound or compute-bound; at the real-time level, a feasibility constraint determines whether timing requirements can be met at all, with the reaction time setting the logical clock speed of fault-tolerant computation once they are. Application of this model to representative workflows demonstrates that co-location of quantum processors with HPC infrastructure offers negligible performance benefit for compute-intensive applications today, while tight integration remains crucial for real-time tasks such as quantum error correction needed for large scale quantum computations. However, we discuss how even at the application level these assessments may shift with hardware evolution, illustrating how the model can identify specific crossover conditions, and how, under fault tolerance, the reaction time can set application-level performance.
Current quantum computers are still error-prone, with measurement errors being one of the factors limiting the scalability of quantum devices. To reduce their impact, a variety of readout error mitigation methods, mostly relying on classical post-processing, have been developed. However, the application of these methods is complicated by their heterogeneity and a lack of information regarding their functionality, configuration, and integration. To facilitate their use, we provide an overview of existing methods, and evaluate general and method-specific configuration options. Quantum applications comprise many classical pre- and post-processing tasks, including readout error mitigation. Automation can facilitate the execution of these often complex tasks, as their manual execution is time-consuming and error-prone. Workflow technology is a promising candidate for the orchestration of heterogeneous tasks, offering advantages such as reliability, robustness, and monitoring capabilities. In this paper, we present an approach to abstractly model quantum workflows comprising configurable readout error mitigation tasks. Based on the method configuration, these workflows can then be automatically refined into executable workflow models. To validate the feasibility of our approach, we provide a prototypical implementation and demonstrate it in a case study from the quantum humanities domain.