German scientists have developed a powerful new software tool that combines quantum and supercomputers, making it possible for these two fundamentally different systems to interact seamlessly.

The system, called sys-sage, was created by a team of researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) in collaboration with their colleagues from the Leibniz Supercomputing Centre (LRZ). It is now being experimentally tested.

The team noted that while quantum computers show great promise for solving complex problems, integrating them into existing supercomputers remains challenging due to the differences in architecture and operation.

“We have addressed some of these challenges by developing the Sys-Sage hybrid tool.” Martin Schulz, PhD, a professor of computer architecture and parallel systems at TUM, and a member of the LRZ board of directors, revealed.

Integrating quantum with HPC

Quantum computers, which use the properties of quantum physics to store data and perform computations, are widely regarded as one of the most promising technologies of the future.

Unlike classical computers, which rely on bits that represent either a zero or a 1, they consist of quantum bits, also known as ‘cubits’, that can exist in multiple states simultaneously through superposition.

This phenomenon and quantum entanglement allow them to solve certain problems far faster than traditional machines. Nevertheless, quantum computers are not universally applicable or intended to replace traditional high-performance computing (HPC).

Instead, researchers see them as complementary accelerators that could tackle highly complex tasks while leaving conventional workloads to supercomputers.

According to the research team, the challenge lies in making these two different architectures work together. Quantum computers operate with unique interfaces, control systems, and topologies that don’t easily fit into the highly optimized structures of classical HPC environments.

Integrating the two systems has posed a great challenge until the TUM team created the sys-sage library, which was originally developed as a central interface for supercomputers.

The sys-sage library

Led by Schulz, the research team extended the existing sys-sage library, a HPC software stack that processes data from supercomputers, such as information about processors and their performance, and data transfer between compute nodes.

The library collects and organizes static and dynamic information about a system’s architecture and topology, and essentially acts as a detailed map by showing how different components are structured and connected.

By expanding the library to include quantum systems, the researchers have now built a unified representation that combines the topologies of quantum and classical computers. This means that tasks can now be distributed intelligently across both systems.

For instance, if a problem is better suited for a quantum processor, Sys-Sage can direct it there. In contrast, if it’s a workload optimized for classical HPC, the task remains with the supercomputer.

“With this architecture, developed as part of the Munich Quantum Valley initiative and the Munich Quantum Software Stack (MQSS), we’re laying the groundwork for the productive and efficient use of quantum computers in supercomputing centers,” Schulz concluded in a press release.

The paper was published in the ISC High Performance 2025 Research Paper Proceedings, available via IEEE Xplore.