A Reference Architecture for Quantum Computing as a Service

Quantum computers (QCs) aim to disrupt the status-quo of computing – replacing traditional systems and platforms that are driven by digital circuits and modular software – with hardware and software that operates on the principle of quantum mechanics. QCs that rely on quantum mechanics can exploit quantum circuits (i.e., quantum bits for manipulating quantum gates) to achieve ‘quantum computational supremacy’ over traditional, i.e., digital computing systems. This research contributes by (i) developing a reference architecture for enabling quantum computing as a service, (ii) implementing microservices with the quantum-classic split pattern as an architectural use-case, and (iii) evaluating the reference architecture based on feedback by 22 practitioners. In the QSE context, the research focuses on unifying architectural methods and service-orientation patterns to promote reuse knowledge and best practices to tackle emerging and futuristic challenges of architecting and implementing Quantum Computing as a Service (QCaaS).