Search papers, labs, and topics across Lattice.
This paper introduces SB-QOPS, a search-based quantum program testing approach that uses commuting Pauli strings as test cases and a measurement-centric oracle based on their commutation properties. SB-QOPS addresses limitations of existing quantum testing methods by reducing reliance on full program specifications and enabling effective testing on real quantum computers. Empirical evaluation on circuits up to 29 qubits across IBM, IQM, and Quantinuum platforms demonstrates that SB-QOPS achieves 100% fault detection, significantly outperforming the previous QOPS approach.
Achieve 100% fault detection in quantum circuits up to 29 qubits by cleverly searching for bugs using commuting Pauli strings, even on real noisy quantum computers.
Quantum software testing is important for reliable quantum software engineering. Despite recent advances, existing quantum software testing approaches rely on simple test inputs and statistical oracles, costly program specifications, and limited validation on real quantum computers. To address these challenges, we propose SB-QOPS, a search-based quantum program testing approach via commuting Pauli strings. SB-QOPS, as a direct extension to a previously proposed QOPS approach, redefines test cases in terms of Pauli strings and introduces a measurement-centric oracle that exploits their commutation properties, enabling effective testing of quantum programs while reducing the need for full program specifications. By systematically exploring the search space through an expectation-value-based fitness function, SB-QOPS improves test budget utilization and increases the likelihood of uncovering subtle faults. We conduct a large-scale empirical evaluation on quantum circuits of up to 29 qubits on real quantum computers and emulators. We assess three search strategies: Genetic Algorithm, Hill Climbing, and the (1+1) Evolutionary Algorithm, and evaluate SB-QOPS under both simulated and real noisy conditions. Experiments span three quantum computing platforms: IBM, IQM, and Quantinuum. Results show that SB-QOPS significantly outperforms QOPS, achieving a fault-detection score of 100% for circuits up to 29 qubits, and demonstrating portability across quantum platforms.
