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Majid Haghparast

Publications and source records attributed to Majid Haghparast.

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On the Figures of Merit for Quantum Software Security: Toward a Benchmarking Rubric

Quantum software is increasingly provided through multi-tenant and cloud-based Quantum-as-a-Service (QaaS) stacks. A growing concern about the diverse attack vectors across the pipeline has been demonstrated in recent research. Yet the community has converged on three mature pillars: Scale (Qubit Count), Quality (Quantum Volume), and Speed (Circuit Layer Operations per Second (CLOPS)) for the merit performance figures. Moreover, it has also begun to define software-quality metrics. However, the security of quantum software remains largely unmeasured. A few quantitative security indicators, such as Total Variation Distance (TVD) and Degree of Functional Corruption (DFC), exist. Although they were introduced ad hoc for individual circuit obfuscation techniques, they are incompatible. We assert that the security of quantum software deserves the same attention as the performance: an explicit set of Security Figures of Merit (S-FoMs). The research of this paper is threefold: (i) characterizes a three-layer measurement gap, (ii) proposes a structured S-FoM set organized by ISO/IEC 25010 security sub-characteristics, QaaS pipeline mapping, and measurement maturity, and (iii) defines a benchmarking rubric that normalizes and aggregates S-FoMs into a combined Quantum Software Security Posture (QSSP) score. Additionally, an illustrative reanalysis of published obfuscation techniques has been presented. Our aim is a first step toward security-aware benchmarking of the Quantum Software Stack (QSS).

cs.CR

An End-to-End Threat Model for the Quantum-as-a-Service Pipeline

Cloud-based accessing of Quantum-as-a-Service (QaaS) platforms such as IBM Quantum, IonQ Cloud, and Amazon Braket is becoming popular day by day. Hybrid quantum-classical algorithms (VQE, QAOA, QML) transfer data via a long layered pipeline of orchestration, compilation, and execution. Recent works have demonstrated various critical attacks at individual stages: Calibration tampering, SWAP attacks, QubitHammer, and so on. However, these attacks remain separated because of their own terminology, and existing STRIDE-based threat modeling in the context of quantum lacks a structured view towards the QaaS stack itself. We address this concern by decomposing the workflow into six-stage model with STRIDE threat modeling. Our matrix demonstrated attack vectors in quantum-specific, inherited classical, and plausible tiers for each of the stages. We further investigate the underexplored sections (repudiation and elevation-of-privilege) and distinguish three different cross-stage attack chains with higher impacts.

cs.CR

Distributed Quantum Circuit Optimisation: Evaluating Global and Local encodings

As distributed quantum architectures begin to emerge, understanding the interaction between quantum circuit optimisation and circuit partitioning becomes increasingly important. In this work, we study how circuit optimisation influences distributed quantum workloads under system-level trade-offs. We compare three compilation strategies (global optimisation, local optimisation, and a hybrid approach) across a large benchmark suite of quantum algorithms. Using telegate-based partitioning, we evaluate the resulting distributed circuits in terms of gate counts, circuit depth, the number of induced non-local gates, and compilation overhead, thereby approximating computational, communication, and classical preprocessing costs. Our results show that circuit optimisation does not uniformly benefit distributed execution. Global optimisation minimises computational resources and achieves the lowest compilation overhead. Local optimisation can reduce communication cost even though it is not explicitly communication-aware. The hybrid strategy can simultaneously reduce both computational and communication overhead, but at the expense of significantly increased compilation time.

quant-ph

Quantum Computing for Healthcare Digital Twin Systems

The growing complexity of healthcare systems requires advanced computational models for real-time monitoring, secure data exchange, and intelligent decision-making. Digital Twins (DTs) provide virtual representations of physical healthcare entities, enabling continuous patient monitoring and personalized care. However, classical DT frameworks face limitations in scalability, computational efficiency, and security. Recent studies have introduced Quantum Digital Twins (QDTs) to enhance performance through quantum computing, addressing challenges such as quantum-resistant security and efficient task offloading in healthcare environments. Despite these advances, most existing QDT models remain constrained by fundamental challenges related to quantum hardware limitations, hybrid classical-quantum system integration, cloud-based quantum access, scalability, and clinical trust. This paper provides a comprehensive review of QDTs for healthcare, with a particular focus on identifying and analyzing the key challenges that currently hinder their real-world adoption. Furthermore, it outlines critical research directions and enabling strategies aimed at advancing the development of secure, reliable, and clinically viable quantum digital twin systems for next-generation healthcare applications.

cs.ET

DEQSE Quantum IDE Extension: Integrated Tool for Quantum Software Engineering

This paper presents a tool that simplifies quantum software development by unifying circuit design, code generation, and execution within a single cross-platform environment that supports iterative development. Implemented as open source, the DEQSE Quantum IDE Extension has been developed to provide quantum functionalities within the Visual Studio Code environment, including project creator, code runner, code converter, and embedded quantum circuit simulator. Furthermore, the system provides capabilities that facilitate iterative development and support learning, distinguishing it from other available Visual Studio Code Extensions for quantum computing.

quant-ph

Quantum Software Security Challenges within Shared Quantum Computing Environments

The number of qubits in quantum computers keeps growing, but most quantum programs remain relatively small because of the noisy nature of the underlying quantum hardware. This might lead quantum cloud providers to explore increased hardware utilization, and thus profitability through means such as multi-programming, which would allow the execution of multiple programs in parallel. The adoption of such technology would bring entirely new challenges to the field of quantum software security. This article explores and reports the key challenges identified in quantum software security within shared quantum computing environments.

quant-ph

Towards reliable quantum software, algorithm and use-case development: Multidisciplinary analysis from the perspective of Finnish industries

Quantum computing is a disruptive technology with the potential to transform various fields. It has predicted abilities to solve complex computational problems beyond the reach of classical computers. However, developing quantum software faces significant challenges. Quantum hardware is yet limited in size and unstable with errors and noise. A shortage of skilled developers and a lack of standardization delay adoption. Quantum hardware is in the process of maturing and is constantly changing its characteristics rendering algorithm design increasingly complex, requiring innovative solutions. Project "Towards reliable quantum software development: Approaches and use-cases" TORQS has studied the dilemma of reliable software development and potential for quantum computing for Finnish industries from multidisciplinary points of views. Here we condense the main observations and results of the project into an essay roadmap and timeline for investing in quantum software, algorithms, hardware, and business.

quant-ph

Gate teleportation-assisted routing for quantum algorithms

The limited qubit connectivity of quantum processors poses a significant challenge in deploying practical algorithms and logical gates, necessitating efficient qubit mapping and routing strategies. When implementing a gate that requires additional connectivity beyond the native connectivity, the qubit state must be moved to a nearby connected qubit to execute the desired gate locally. This is typically achieved using a series of SWAP gates creating a SWAP path. However, routing methods relying on SWAP gates often lead to increased circuit depth and gate count, motivating the need for alternative approaches. This work explores the potential of teleported gates to improve qubit routing efficiency, focusing on implementation within specific hardware topologies and benchmark quantum algorithms. We propose a routing method that is assisted by gate teleportation. It establishes additional connectivity using gate teleportation paths through available unused qubits, termed auxiliary qubits, within the topology. To optimize this approach, we have developed an algorithm to identify the best gate teleportation connections, considering their potential to reduce the depth of the circuit and address possible errors that may arise from the teleportation paths. Finally, we demonstrate depth reduction with gate teleportation-assisted routing in various benchmark algorithms, including case studies on the compilation of the Deutsch-Jozsa algorithm and the Quantum Approximation Optimization Algorithm (QAOA) for heavy-hexagon topology used in IBM 127-qubit Eagle r3 processors. Our benchmark results show a 10-25 $\%$ depth reduction in the routing of selected algorithms compared to regular routing without using the teleported gate.

quant-ph

Innovative Approaches to Teaching Quantum Computer Programming and Quantum Software Engineering

Quantum computing is an emerging field that promises to revolutionize various domains, such as simulation optimization, data processing, and more, by leveraging the principles of quantum mechanics. This paper outlines innovative pedagogical strategies developed by university lecturers in Finland and Spain for teaching quantum computer programming and quantum software engineering. Our curriculum integrates essential tools and methodologies such as containerization with Docker, Qiskit, PennyLane, and Ocean SDK to provide a comprehensive learning experience. The approach consists of several steps, from introducing the fundamentals of quantum mechanics to hands-on labs focusing on practical use cases. We believe quantum computer programming is an important topic and one that is hard to teach, so having a teaching agenda and guidelines for teaching can be of great help.

physics.ed-ph

QADL: Prototype of Quantum Architecture Description Language

Quantum Software (QSW) uses the principles of quantum mechanics, specifically programming quantum bits (qubits) that manipulate quantum gates, to implement quantum computing systems. QSW has become a specialized field of software development, requiring specific notations, languages, patterns, and tools for mapping the behavior of qubits and the structure of quantum gates to components and connectors of QSW architectures. To support declarative modeling of QSW, we aim to enable architecture-driven development, where software engineers can design, program, and evaluate quantum software systems by abstracting complex details through high-level components and connectors. We introduce QADL (Quantum Architecture Description Language), which provides a specification language, design space, and execution environment for architecting QSW. Inspired by classical ADLs, QADL offers (1) a graphical interface to specify and design QSW components, (2) a parser for syntactical correctness, and (3) an execution environment by integrating QADL with IBM Qiskit. The initial evaluation of QADL is based on usability assessments by a team of quantum physicists and software engineers, using quantum algorithms such as Quantum Teleportation and Grover's Search. QADL offers a pioneering specification language and environment for QSW architecture. A demo is available at https://youtu.be/xaplHH_3NtQ.

quant-ph

Qubernetes: Towards a Unified Cloud-Native Execution Platform for Hybrid Classic-Quantum Computing

Context: The emergence of quantum computing proposes a revolutionary paradigm that can radically transform numerous scientific and industrial application domains. The ability of quantum computers to scale computations beyond what the current computers are capable of implies better performance and efficiency for certain algorithmic tasks. Objective: However, to benefit from such improvement, quantum computers must be integrated with existing software systems, a process that is not straightforward. In this paper, we propose a unified execution model that addresses the challenges that emerge from building hybrid classical-quantum applications at scale. Method: Following the Design Science Research methodology, we proposed a convention for mapping quantum resources and artifacts to Kubernetes concepts. Then, in an experimental Kubernetes cluster, we conducted experiments for scheduling and executing quantum tasks on both quantum simulators and hardware. Results: The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed platform Qubernetes (or Kubernetes for quantum) exposes the quantum computation tasks and hardware capabilities following established cloud-native principles, allowing seamless integration into the larger Kubernetes ecosystem. Conclusion: The quantum computing potential cannot be realised without seamless integration into classical computing. By validating that it is practical to execute quantum tasks in a Kubernetes infrastructure, we pave the way for leveraging the existing Kubernetes ecosystem as an enabler for hybrid classical-quantum computing.

quant-ph

Quantum Algorithm Cards: Streamlining the development of hybrid classical-quantum applications

The emergence of quantum computing proposes a revolutionary paradigm that can radically transform numerous scientific and industrial application domains. The ability of quantum computers to scale computations implies better performance and efficiency for certain algorithmic tasks than current computers provide. However, to gain benefit from such improvement, quantum computers must be integrated with existing software systems, a process that is not straightforward. In this paper, we investigate challenges that emerge when building larger hybrid classical-quantum computers and introduce the Quantum Algorithm Card (QAC) concept, an approach that could be employed to facilitate the decision making process around quantum technology.

cs.SE

Quantum Microservices Development and Deployment

Early advances in the field of quantum computing have provided new opportunities to tackle intricate problems in areas as diverse as mathematics, physics, or healthcare. However, the technology required to construct such systems where different pieces of quantum and classical software collaborate is currently lacking. For this reason, significant advancements in quantum service-oriented computing are necessary to enable developers to create and operate quantum services and microservices comparable to their classical counterparts. Therefore, the core objective of this work is to establish the necessary technological infrastructure that enables the application of the benefits and lessons learned from service-oriented computing to the domain of quantum software engineering. To this end, we propose a pipeline for the continuous deployment of services. Additionally, we have validated the proposal by making use of a modification of the OpenAPI specification, the GitHub Actions, and AWS.

cs.SE

Quantum Software Engineering Challenges from Developers' Perspective: Mapping Research Challenges to the Proposed Workflow Model

Despite the increasing interest in quantum computing, the aspect of development to achieve cost-effective and reliable quantum software applications has been slow. One barrier is the software engineering of quantum programs, which can be approached from two directions. On the one hand, many software engineering practices, debugging in particular, are bound to classical computing. On the other hand, quantum programming is closely associated with the phenomena of quantum physics, and consequently, the way we express programs resembles the early days of programming. Moreover, much of the software engineering research today focuses on agile development, where computing cycles are cheap and new software can be rapidly deployed and tested, whereas in the quantum context, executions may consume lots of energy, and test runs may require lots of work to interpret. In this paper, we aim at bridging this gap by starting with the quantum computing workflow and by mapping existing software engineering research to this workflow. Based on the mapping, we then identify directions for software engineering research for quantum computing.

cs.SE

Full-Stack Quantum Software in Practice: Ecosystem, Stakeholders and Challenges

The emergence of quantum computing has introduced a revolutionary paradigm capable of transforming numerous scientific and industrial sectors. Nevertheless, realizing the practical utilization of quantum software in real-world applications presents significant challenges. Factors such as variations in hardware implementations, the intricacy of quantum algorithms, the integration of quantum and traditional software, and the absence of standardized software and communication interfaces hinder the development of a skilled workforce in this domain. This paper explores tangible approaches to establishing quantum computing software development process and addresses the concerns of various stakeholders. By addressing these challenges, we aim to pave the way for the effective utilization of quantum computing in diverse fields.

quant-ph

Novel Efficient Scalable QCA XOR and Full Adder Designs

Circuit design based on Quantum-dots Cellular Automata technology offers power-efficiency and nano-size circuits. It is an attractive alternative to CMOS technology. The XOR gate is a widely used building element in arithmetic circuits. An efficient XOR gate in QCA computational circuits can significantly improve efficiency. This paper proposes two different approaches for designing 3-input QCA XOR gates with 10 and 8 cells. They require two clock phases to create output. They have efficient and scalable structures. To demonstrate the functionality of these structures, we design QCA full adders using the suggested gates and compare the results with existing designs. The proposed QCA full adder has only 12 cells and is the best compared to all the existing counterparts. We simulated and verified the proposed structures. We proved the functionality of the proposed QCA full adder and the suggested QCA XOR structures. Additionally, QCAPro is used to estimate the energy dissipation of the proposed XOR and Full-adder. The results demonstrated that the proposed designs have the desired performance based on the number of cells, occupied area, and latency.

cs.ET