Intel has released version 1.0 of the Intel Quantum software development kit (SDK), following a beta release last September.

The SDK is a complete quantum computer in simulation that can also interface with Intel’s quantum hardware, including Intel’s Horse Ridge II control chip and Intel’s quantum spin qubit chip when it becomes available this year.

The kit allows developers to program quantum algorithms in simulation and features an intuitive programming interface written in C++ using an industry-standard low-level virtual machine (LLVM) compiler chain. As a result, Intel’s SDK offers seamless interaction with C/C++ and Python applications, making it more versatile and customizable.

“The Intel Quantum SDK helps programmers get ready for future large-scale commercial quantum computers. It will not only help developers learn how to create quantum algorithms and applications in simulation, but it will also advance the industry by creating a community of developers that will accelerate the development of applications, so they are ready when Intel’s quantum hardware becomes available”,

said Anne Matsuura, director of Quantum Applications & Architecture, Intel Labs.

Version 1.0 of the SDK includes an intuitive programming interface based on C++, providing a programming language that’s familiar to classical computing developers, enabling collaboration between them and quantum developers.

The kit also features a quantum runtime environment optimized for executing hybrid quantum-classical algorithms. Developers have the choice of two target backends for simulating qubits to either represent a higher number of generic qubits or Intel hardware.

The SDK is a customizable and expandable platform providing greater flexibility when developing quantum applications. It also provides for users to compare compiler files, a standard feature in classical computing development, to discern how well an algorithm is optimized in the compiler.

It allows users to see the source code and obtain lower levels of abstraction, gaining insight into how a system stores data.