Quantum Compilation wiki: A modern overview on the unsung hero of quantum computing

While quantum algorithms and hardware often steal the spotlight, the critical role of quantum compilation often remains in the shadows. However, the ability to efficiently compile large algorithms will be essential for future execution on fault-tolerant hardware (and even today, to assess algorithm feasibility and runtime)—something we are working hard at enabling with PennyLane's quantum just-in-time compiler, Catalyst.

Yet, despite the abundance of information available, identifying and understanding which compilation passes or techniques are useful and relevant, and knowing how to implement and utilize them, is a challenge. Scouring papers and gathering the information relevant to your work is time-consuming—especially given the flux of new results and the large, historical literature. Not to mention that terminology has evolved, but many older techniques remain relevant today.

For these reasons, we created the Quantum Compilation wiki. ✨

What is the quantum compilation wiki?

Written and collated by researchers, this wiki-style tool will feature overviews and detailed explanations of important compilation topics sourced from software and research papers. At release, this includes:

• Circuit-to-circuit transformations, such as Pauli Product Measurement transformations.

• Important subroutines used in quantum compilation, such as two-qubit synthesis or the RowCol algorithm.

• Intermediate representations often used for compilation, such as the parity matrix intermediate representation or the (Clifford + T) gate set.

• Other traditional compiler pipelines such as loop boundary optimizations.

Within each wiki page, you'll also find code examples and links to related PennyLane functionalities and external software resources.

What if I can't find the pass or technique I'm interested in 👀?

We’re all ears👂! If there’s a topic, technique, or software implementation you’d like to see added (or even contribute!) let us know at support@pennylane.ai 📩.

Questions? Share them on the PennyLane Discussion Forum!

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In the grand scheme of quantum computing, quantum compilation may not always grab the headlines, but its importance cannot be overstated. It is the unsung hero that translates theoretical quantum algorithms into practical quantum computations. As quantum hardware matures and quantum algorithms become more sophisticated, the role of quantum compilation will only grow in significance.

Be sure to check out the Quantum Compilation wiki as well as previous compilation blog posts, including A brief history of optimizing T-gate counts with the op-T-mize dataset and Demonstrating quantitative advantage with quantum just-in-time compilation and PennyLane.