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A Design Language for Quantum Computing

Award Information

Agency:
Department of Defense 		Branch:
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency 		Award ID:
58379 		Program Year/Program:
2002 / SBIR
Agency Tracking Number:
02SB1-0196 		Solicitation Year:
N/A 		Solicitation Topic Code:
N/A 		Solicitation Number:
N/A
Small Business Information
ATC - NY
33 Thornwood Drive Suite 500 Ithaca, NY -
View profile »
Woman-Owned: No
Minority-Owned: No
HUBZone-Owned: No
 
Phase 1
Fiscal Year: 2002
Title: A Design Language for Quantum Computing
Agency / Branch: DOD / DARPA
Contract: DAAH0102CR161
Award Amount: $98,952.00
 

Abstract:

"Current techniques for defining and specifying quantum algorithms are imprecise and to some degree informal, which causes a number of problems: informal descriptions can be ambiguous and difficult to understand, cannot be supported by automated tools (forcomputer algebra, simulation, etc.), and will not scale up as programming tasks become more complex. Formal notations are required, including design techniques familiar from classical programming (modularity, the ability to use different levels ofabstraction) and new techniques for dealing with {\em hybrid\/} calculations that have both classical and quantum components. Since quantum algorithms are more like circuits than like software, we propose to define such a notation and base it on thehardware description language VHDL (for which ATC-NY has developed a mathematical semantics and sophisticated automated analysis tools). We call the notation QHDL (Quantum Hardware Description Language). Phase I work will produce a preliminary design forQHDL and an informal semantics for its type system. It will implement a parser and provide a top-level design for other tools, including a typechecker. The tool set will support techniques for developing algorithms by modifying existing algorithms and bysynthesizing existing components. QHDL will provide two things that the research and engineering communities in quantum computing currently lack: a shared language of interchange (communication) and

Principal Investigator:

Matthew Stillerman
Sr. Principal Scientist
6072571975
matt@oracorp.com

Business Contact:

Richard Smith
Controller
6072571975
rick@oracorp.com
Small Business Information at Submission:

Odyssey Research Assoc., Inc.
33 Thornwood Drive, Suite 500 Ithaca, NY 14850

EIN/Tax ID: 161549760
DUNS: N/A
Number of Employees:
Woman-Owned: No
Minority-Owned: No
HUBZone-Owned: No