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Lecture notes in computer science

Protecting Quantum Circuits Through Compiler-Resistant Obfuscation

Pradyun Parayil, Amal Raj, Vivek Balachandran

Published Jul 21, 2026• 0 citations
Publisher
DOI
10.1007/978-3-032-32560-0_7

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Quantum compilers play a crucial role in quantum computing by converting these algorithmic quantum circuits into forms compatible with specific quantum computer hardware. However, untrusted quantum compilers present considerable risks, including the potential theft of quantum circuit intellectual property (IP) and compromise of the functionality (e.g. Trojan insertion). Quantum circuit obfuscation techniques protect quantum IP by transforming a quantum circuit into a key-dependent version before compilation and restoring the compiled circuit's functionality with the correct key. This prevents the untrusted compiler from knowing the circuit's original functionality. Existing quantum circuit obfuscation techniques focus on inserting key qubits to control key gates. One added key gate can represent at most one Boolean key bit. In this paper, we propose OPAQUE, a phase-based quantum circuit obfuscation approach where we use the angle of rotation gates as the secret keys. The rotation angle is a continuous value, which makes it possible to represent multiple key bits. Moreover, phase gates are usually implemented as virtual gates in quantum hardware, diminishing their cost and impact on accuracy.

arXiv:2502.16605•International Symposium on Quality Electronic Design (ISQED)•Apr 23, 2025•7 citations
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.
Quantum circuit obfuscation is becoming increasingly impor-tant 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 struc-tural inference, making it a practical and effective approach for quantum software protection.
Quantum compilers play a crucial role in quantum computing by converting these algorithmic quantum circuits into forms compatible with specific quantum computer hardware. However, untrusted quantum compilers present considerable risks, including the potential theft of quantum circuit intellectual property (IP) and compromise of the functionality (e.g. Trojan insertion). Quantum circuit obfuscation techniques protect quantum IP by transforming a quantum circuit into a key-dependent version before compilation and restoring the compiled circuit's functionality with the correct key. This prevents the untrusted compiler from knowing the circuit's original functionality. Existing quantum circuit obfuscation techniques focus on inserting key qubits to control key gates. One added key gate can represent at most one Boolean key bit. In this paper, we propose OPAQUE, a phase-based quantum circuit obfuscation approach where we use the angle of rotation gates as the secret keys. The rotation angle is a continuous value, which makes it possible to represent multiple key bits. Moreover, phase gates are usually implemented as virtual gates in quantum hardware, diminishing their cost and impact on accuracy.