Originally developed at IBM by Dr. Zlatko K. Minev, Quantum Metal—formerly known as Qiskit Metal—is now a community-maintained, open-source framework designed to facilitate the design of superconducting quantum devices. This project has garnered 361 stars and 244 forks on its platform, and is evolving as a core tool within a growing ecosystem for quantum device design and education, including the Quantum Device Workspace hosted annually at UCLA/USC. The transition from IBM maintenance ensures continuity for existing users while establishing Quantum Metal as part of a shared ecosystem alongside tools like SQUADDS and scqubits.
Quantum Metal Project Transition
The Qiskit Metal project is formally transitioning to “Quantum Metal” with the v0.5 release. While the current import path, qiskit_metal, will remain functional for now, the project name and future package publication will be under “quantum-metal.” This transition ensures continuity for existing users, preserving issues, stars, and forks. The package qiskit-metal will remain available in an archived state, with the new package planned for publication after the import path is updated, allowing for a smooth user experience.
Quantum Metal originated at IBM and has evolved into a community-driven project supported by universities and research groups. Development is now maintained by the Quantum Device Consortium (QDC) alongside the community, with continued collaboration from the original developer, Dr. Zlatko K. Minev. A significant collective effort, including contributions from Sadman Ahmed Shanto, Abhishek Chakraborty, and others, resulted in the v0.5 release and a substantial PySide6 transition as noted in PR #1002.
Installation of the current v0.5 release is available via pip as quantum-metal, though qiskit-metal remains functional. Users can also install from source using uv, conda, or a standard venv, with Python versions 3.10, 3.11, and 3.12 supported. Continuous integration testing occurs across Linux, macOS, and Windows. Jupyter Notebook/Lab is recommended for full GUI access and interactive features.
Community Contributions and Acknowledgements
Quantum Metal, formerly Qiskit Metal, has transitioned from an IBM-maintained project to a community-driven effort supported by universities, research groups, and individual contributors. This evolution is formally recognized with the v0.5 release, marking a shift in maintenance to the Quantum Device Consortium (QDC) and broader community. The project aims to be a core tool within a growing ecosystem for superconducting quantum device design and education, including the Quantum Device Workspace (QDW).
A significant collective effort went into the v0.5 release, with the developers specifically acknowledging contributions from Sadman Ahmed Shanto, Abhishek Chakraborty, PositroniumJS, SamWolski, Nicolas Dirnegger, Eli Levenson-Falk, and Murat Can Sarıhan. These contributors provided extensive testing, debugging, and platform validation, particularly related to a substantial PySide6 transition detailed in Pull Request #1002. The team expresses gratitude to all users and maintainers driving the project forward.
Installation of Quantum Metal (v0.5) is currently available via pip under the legacy name qiskit-metal, with a future transition planned for the package name. Preferred installation methods include uv for speed and reliability, or conda for binary-heavy scientific stacks. Continuous integration testing is performed using Python versions 3.10, 3.11, and 3.12 across Linux, macOS, and Windows platforms, ensuring broad compatibility.
The Qiskit Metal codebase is organized into several key modules, each with a distinct role in enabling the design, analysis, and visualization of quantum circuits.
Installation Methods and Requirements
Installation of Quantum Metal (formerly Qiskit Metal) can be accomplished via several methods, ensuring compatibility during the transition. Currently, the package remains available on PyPI under the name qiskit-metal until an import path update. Users can install the current v0.5 release using pip install quantum-metal. Continuous integration testing confirms functionality across Python 3.10, 3.11, and 3.12 on Linux, macOS, and Windows, with specific system library notes for Gmsh on Ubuntu.
A preferred installation method utilizes uv, a fast and reliable tool. Following uv installation, users clone the repository, create a Python 3.11 virtual environment, and then install the package in editable mode using uv pip install -e .. Alternative methods include utilizing Conda with an environment.yml file, or a standard Python virtual environment, both requiring Python 3.10, 3.11, or 3.12.
For interactive use, Jupyter Notebook/Lab is recommended, requiring installation via pip install jupyterlab if not already present. Users can then add their virtual environment as a Jupyter kernel. The source highlights the importance of ensuring build tools are present on Windows/macOS if native extensions are added during the process, and notes specific library requirements on Ubuntu for Gmsh/Qt functionality.
Project Overview and Ecosystem
Quantum Metal is an open-source framework designed for engineers and scientists to facilitate the design of superconducting quantum devices. Originally developed at IBM by Dr. Zlatko K. Minev, the project has transitioned to a community-driven effort supported by universities and research groups. The v0.5 release formally marks this transition, with development now maintained by the Quantum Device Consortium (QDC) alongside the community. This ensures continued evolution of the tool and broadens its accessibility for quantum hardware design.
The project is now part of a larger “Quantum Device Design Ecosystem” including the Quantum Device Workspace (QDW) – an annual event hosting leaders like Michel Devoret and Andreas Wallraff – and other tools such as SQUADDS and scqubits. Installation is currently facilitated through PyPI under the legacy name qiskit-metal, but the package will transition to quantum-metal in a future release. Users can also install from source using uv, conda, or a standard venv, with continuous integration testing on Python versions 3.10, 3.11, and 3.12.
Installation instructions detail specific commands for different operating systems and package managers. For example, users are advised to use uv pip install -e . after cloning the repository, and macOS/Linux users are directed to install uv using curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh. The project’s documentation recommends using Jupyter Notebook/Lab to access its full GUI and interactive features, and provides commands to install and activate it within the virtual environment.
Metal was conceived and developed by Zlatko Minev at IBM; then co-led with Thomas McConkey.
Supported Python Versions and CI
Quantum Metal (formerly Qiskit Metal) utilizes continuous integration (CI) testing across multiple platforms and Python versions. Specifically, CI runs are executed on Python 3.10, 3.11, and 3.12, encompassing Linux (Ubuntu 24.04), macOS 15, and Windows. This multi-platform testing strategy aims to ensure broad compatibility and stability of the software. Adherence to these tested Python versions is recommended, as they mirror the CI-tested setup, and may require additional system libraries on Ubuntu for tools like Gmsh.
The project facilitates installation via several methods, including uv, Conda, and standard venv, catering to diverse user preferences and system configurations. Installation instructions emphasize compatibility with Python 3.10, 3.11, and 3.12, aligning with the CI testing matrix. For macOS ARM users, it’s noted to avoid Python 3.12+ to prevent potential issues with C/C++ toolchains, demonstrating attention to platform-specific considerations.
Users are encouraged to utilize Jupyter Notebook/Lab for accessing the full GUI and interactive features of Quantum Metal. The provided installation guide details steps for setting up and activating virtual environments using uv, Conda, or venv with Python 3.10, 3.11, or 3.12. This flexibility in installation options and Python version support allows users to integrate Quantum Metal seamlessly into their existing workflows and development environments.
Development and Usage with Jupyter
Quantum Metal, formerly Qiskit Metal, is designed for engineers and scientists to design superconducting quantum devices. The project has transitioned from being IBM-maintained to a community-driven effort supported by universities and researchers. Installation is available via pip install quantum-metal, though it remains available under the legacy name qiskit-metal until an import path update. Continuous integration testing occurs on Python versions 3.10, 3.11, and 3.12 across Linux, macOS, and Windows.
Users can install Quantum Metal using several methods, including uv, Conda, or a standard venv. The source provides detailed instructions for each, highlighting preferences like using uv for speed and reliability. For those using Conda, an environment.yml file is provided to streamline setup. The project also supports installation from source, enabling contributions and customization.
To fully utilize Quantum Metal’s GUI and interactive features, the documentation recommends using Jupyter Notebook/Lab. If Jupyter is not already present in the user’s environment, it can be installed via pip install jupyterlab. Additionally, users are instructed to add their environment as a Jupyter kernel to integrate Quantum Metal seamlessly with the notebook interface.
