Microsoft QDK from .NET to Rust: 100x faster, 100x smaller
25 days ago
- #Quantum Computing
- #WebAssembly
- #Rust
- The new Microsoft Quantum Development Kit (QDK) is rebuilt from scratch, offering 100x faster performance and 100x smaller size.
- It is written mostly in Rust, enabling compilation to WebAssembly for browser/VS Code and to native binaries for Python.
- Goals include simplified user experience (especially for Python users), broad platform support, improved performance/reliability, and faster engineering velocity.
- Key benefits: installation takes seconds, language service is instant, simulator runs thousands of shots per second, and build pipelines complete in ~10 minutes.
- It works fully in the browser via VS Code for the Web, with all features available without local installation.
- Current preview lacks multi-file support and full QIR compatibility; migration tools and documentation updates are planned.
- The existing QDK remains supported for users needing stability or specific features.