[PLanQC'25] The Quantum Abstract Machine

The Quantum Abstract Machine (Video, PLanQC 2025) Le Chang, Liyi Li, Rance Cleaveland, Mingwei Zhu, and Xiaodi Wu (University of Maryland, College Park; Iowa State University; University of Maryland; University of Maryland, College Park; University of Maryland) Abstract: We develop a model of quantum behavior that is intended to support the abstract yet accurate design and functional verification of quantum communication protocols. The work is motivated by the need for conceptual tools for the development of quantum communication systems that are usable by non-specialists in quantum physics while also correctly capturing at a useful abstraction the underlying quantum phenomena. Our approach involves defining a quantum abstract machine (QAM) whose operations correspond to well-known quantum circuits; these operations, however, are given direct abstract semantics in a style similar to that of Berry's and Boudol's Chemical Abstract Machine. This paper defines the QAM's semantics and shows via examples how it may be used to model and reason about existing quantum communication protocols. Presentation at the PLanQC 2025 workshop, January 25, 2025, https://popl25.sigplan.org/home/planqc-2025 Sponsored by ACM SIGPLAN