qiskit-community/qiskit-metal

What it solves

Quantum Metal provides a standardized, open-source framework for engineers and scientists to design superconducting quantum devices. It simplifies the process of creating quantum chips by allowing users to define components and routing using Python code rather than manual drawing, reducing the effort required to move from a theoretical design to a physical chip.

How it works

The framework allows users to build planar-chip designs by adding components (such as transmon qubits) from a library and defining their positions and properties. It supports multiple workflows:

• Headless/Lite: A pure-Python API for building designs, exporting GDS files for fabrication, and performing basic analyses.
• Interactive GUI: A desktop application for visual editing, moving, and rotating components.
• Simulation Integration: It integrates with external solvers like Ansys HFSS/Q3D, AWS Palace, and Elmer FEM for electromagnetic simulation and meshing.

Who it’s for

It is designed for quantum hardware engineers, physicists, and researchers who are designing superconducting quantum circuits and chips.

Highlights

• Python-based design: Build complex chips (e.g., a 4-qubit chip) with a few lines of code.
• Flexible installation: Offers lite, GUI, Ansys, and Open FEM options depending on the user's simulation and interface needs.
• GDS export: Directly exports designs to GDS format for lithography and fabrication.
• Multi-solver support: Connects to various industry-standard and open-source electromagnetic simulation tools.
• Extensible ecosystem: Serves as a foundation for other tools like SQuADDS for qubit databases and ML-based inverse design.