Microsoft adds domain libraries and Copilot integration to the quantum development kit
The Microsoft Quantum Development Kit (QDK) is an open-source toolkit that runs on laptops and in common development environments. It includes code, simulators, libraries, and workflows that work with Visual Studio Code and GitHub Copilot. Integration with these tools gives developers features for writing, testing, debugging, and submitting quantum code.
The QDK supports multiple programming languages and frameworks such as Q#, OpenQASM, Qiskit, and Cirq.
The QDK includes domain-specific libraries aimed at scientific applications in fields like chemistry and error correction. These libraries bring workflows and tools that guide users from workflow setup through execution. The chemistry library offers end-to-end steps for preparing molecular problems for quantum execution, including classical preprocessing, active space selection, and circuit optimization. It also includes visual tools for rendering molecular structures and circuits in the development environment.
Developers can install the QDK extension in Visual Studio Code from the marketplace. With this extension and GitHub Copilot, the development environment will suggest code, show visualizations of circuits and simulation results, and support debugging. Copilot integration also extends to Python and Jupyter workflows, and provides assistance with unit tests and job submissions to quantum hardware.
The QDK’s workflow tools include circuit rendering, resource estimation, local simulators, and visualization components like histograms. These assist developers as they iterate on quantum code and move routines from prototyping toward execution.
These developer tools are part of a broader software stack that links quantum programming with hardware, error correction, AI, and high-performance computing within the Azure Quantum ecosystem. The platform includes infrastructure to support logical qubit execution and interfaces that bridge code with quantum processors from partners.
The Microsoft Quantum Development Kit is available for free on GitHub.
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