Leveraging Years of Classical Compiler Expertise for Quantum Computing
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Decades of research have gone into classical compiler design, producing sophisticated frameworks that transform high-level programs into efficient machine code. Quantum computing faces the same challenge: translating quantum algorithms into hardware-executable instructions. A classical-first approach extends established compiler frameworks with quantum concepts, treating quantum processors as specialized accelerators within larger computing systems. This article presents multilevel intermediate representation (MLIR) as an effective foundation for this approach and demonstrates its use in the Munich Quantum Software Stack, which connects high-level applications to diverse quantum hardware through a modular, high-performance computing (HPC)-integrated pipeline. MLIR dialects support multiple abstraction levels while providing built-in parsing, transformation, and optimization infrastructure. Quantum programs are represented through complementary dialects: one explicitly encodes the circuit's dataflow graph, while the other mirrors established languages for seamless tool interoperability. The resulting framework, the Munich Quantum Toolkit Compiler Collection, supports compiler passes for both flat circuits and structured control flow. It is available at https://github.com/munich-quantum-toolkit/core.
Institution: Technical University of Munich
Language: English
Subfield: Artificial Intelligence
Field: Computer Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $2,995
OpenAlex ID: W7223094258