Quantum computing is going mainstream, propelled by the rapid expansion of development platforms and programming environments. Thanks to its capacity to solve specific problems exponentially faster than traditional methods, it's unlocking new frontiers in technology.
In the future, quantum computers may shatter existing cryptography methods, potentially revolutionizing network security. Quantum computing is already leaving its mark on logistics management, data science, drug discovery, AI and machine learning, cryptography, optimization, climate research, finance, manufacturing and chemical research.
Below are broad areas of quantum computing to explore:
| Post-quantum cryptography | New encryption algorithms for quantum computers |
| General quantum computing | Computation using quantum gates and circuits |
| Quantum annealing | Heuristic combinatorial optimization using specially designed QPUs to solve NP-hard optimization problems |
| Quantum machine learning | Applying quantum algorithms in AI, machine learning, deep learning and natural language processing |
| Quantum communication | Secure quantum network using quantum key distribution |
Below are examples of cloud-based platforms that can be used to support your project:
| IBM | Qiskit, IBM Quantum | Open-source toolkit, Access to QPUs |
| Microsoft | Azure Quantum, QDK, Q# | Full-stack cloud service for quantum computing, open-source development kit, quantum programming language |
| D-wave | LEAP, Ocean SDK | Real-time cloud-based application environment with access to QPUs, Suite of open-source Python tools |
| Cirq, TFQ | Open-source framework for programming quantum computers | |
| Xanadu | Strawberry Fields, PennyLane, Xanadu Cloud | Full-stack Python library for quantum computing, Open-source software framework for quantum machine learning, cloud access to quantum hardware, software and applications |
| Amazon | BraKet | Fully managed cloud-based quantum computing service |
| Others | ProjectQ, Percevel, Q-Ctrl Open Control, Intel Quantum Simulator, BQSKit, QCircuits, Yao Quantum, SILQ, Paddle Quantum, Tequila, Qulacs, StaQ, BayesForge, BluCat, Quirk, Quest, XACC, Q++ (or QPP), Quantum Inspire, QuCAT, QuTiP, Quipper, QX Simulator, ScaffCC (Scaffold programming language), TriQ, Quantum Computing Playground (browser-based WebGL interface), PyQLab | |
Most of these applications are built on Python or languages that seamlessly work with Python, making the development process smoother. A wealth of open-source libraries, tools and utilities is available to simplify your work. You can also find many projects and repositories on GitHub to assist you.