Quantum Computing as a Service -- a Software Engineering Perspective

TL;DR

This paper investigates software engineering for QCaaS by integrating systematic literature mapping with architecture-centred development. It identifies a four-stage QCaaS lifecycle (conceive, model, assemble, deploy) embedded in a layered reference architecture and documents quantum-specific requirements (QSRs), notations, and patterns, such as the Quantum API Gateway and Quantum–Classic Split. It provides empirical insights on publication trends, key platforms, and design patterns, and proposes QADL as a language to model QC services, illustrating a Shor’s algorithm use case. The work offers practical guidance for practitioners and a research roadmap highlighting process-centric QCSE, empirical QSR management, pattern discovery, and CT/CD, while noting threats to validity and areas for future validation with industry data and repositories.

Abstract

Quantum systems have started to emerge as a disruptive technology and enabling platforms - exploiting the principles of quantum mechanics via programmable quantum bits (QuBits) - to achieve quantum supremacy in computing. Academic research, industrial projects (e.g., Amazon Braket, IBM Qiskit), and consortiums like 'Quantum Flagship' are striving to develop practically capable and commercially viable quantum computing (QC) systems and technologies. Quantum Computing as a Service (QCaaS) is viewed as a solution attuned to the philosophy of service-orientation that can offer QC resources and platforms, as utility computing, to individuals and organisations who do not own quantum computers. This research investigates a process-centric and architecture-driven approach to offer a software engineering perspective on enabling QCaaS - a.k.a quantum service-orientation. We employed a two-phase research method comprising (a) a systematic mapping study and (b) an architecture-based development, first to identify the phases of the quantum service development life cycle and subsequently to integrate these phases into a reference architecture that supports QCaaS. The SMS process retrieved a collection of potentially relevant research literature and based on a multi-step selection and qualitative assessment, we selected 41 peer-reviewed studies to answer three RQs. The RQs investigate (i) demographic details in terms of frequency, types, and trends of research, (ii) phases of quantum service development lifecycle to derive a reference architecture for conception, modeling, assembly, and deployment of services, and (iii) The results identify a 4-phased development lifecycle along with quantum significant requirements (QSRs), various modeling notations, catalogue of patterns, programming languages, and deployment platforms that can be integrated in a layered reference architecture to engineer QCaaS.

Figures (9)

• Figure 1: Study Focus: A Generic SE view of QCaaS Model
• Figure 2: An Illustrative Overview of Quantum Computing and Service-Orientation
• Figure 3: An Overview of the Research Method
• Figure 4: Demographic Details of Published Research on QCaaS
• Figure 5: An Illustrative Overview of the Results of RQ-2