View Categories

Running Circuits

2 min read

Running Quantum Circuits: A Guide

 

 

 

1. Platform Selection

  • CPU (Simulators):

    Simulators: Ideal for initial circuit design, testing, and debugging. They offer high fidelity and can simulate small- to medium-sized circuits efficiently.

    • Advantages: Fast execution, low cost, easily accessible.
    • Disadvantages: Limited to smaller circuits due to exponential resource growth with increasing qubit number.

Examples: Qiskit Aer and Cirq.

 

  • GPU (Simulators):

 

Simulators: Leverage the parallel processing power of GPUs to accelerate certain simulation tasks.

Advantages: Can simulate larger circuits than CPUs alone.

Disadvantages: Still limited by the exponential resource growth of quantum simulations.

Examples: TensorFlow Quantum, NVIDIA cuQuantum, GPU A100.

 

  • QPUs (Quantum Processing Units – Real Quantum Hardware):

 

  • Access to real quantum hardware for executing actual quantum circuits.
    • Advantages: Execute true quantum algorithms and explore real-world quantum phenomena.
    • Disadvantages: Limited qubit count, high noise levels, longer execution times, and limited availability.

 

2. Job Submission and Result Viewing

    • Create an Account: Register with the chosen platform
    • Circuit Definition:
      • Use a programming language (e.g., Python with Qiskit, Cirq) to define your quantum circuit.
      • Specify parameters like the number of qubits, gates, and measurements.
    • Job Submission:
      • Submit your circuit to the chosen platform (simulator, GPU, or QPU).
      • Configure job parameters (e.g., number of shots, backend selection).
    • Job Monitoring:
      • Track the progress of your job on the platform’s dashboard.
    • Result Retrieval:
      • Download the results of your circuit execution (e.g., measurement outcomes, execution time).

 

3. Saving and Exporting Work

  • Code:
    • Save your circuit definition code (text format) for reproducibility and collaboration.
  • Results:
    • Export results (measurement data, execution times) in test format or analysis and visualization.
  • Circuits: Some platforms allow you to save and load circuit definitions for later use.  

Key Considerations:

  • Circuit Complexity: For small circuits, simulators are generally sufficient. For larger circuits or when exploring real quantum phenomena, consider GPUs or QPUs.
  • Noise and Errors: Real quantum hardware is subject to noise.