4th Workshop on Quantum Software
WQS 2026
Co-located with QTML 2026 in Stellenbosch, South Africa
December 12, 2026
About
Bridging algorithms and hardware through software
Quantum software development is becoming a critical skill as quantum computing matures from theory to practice. The Workshop on Quantum Software (WQS) addresses the intermediate layers of the quantum computing stack — from high-level algorithms down to hardware implementation.
WQS 2026 is the fourth edition of this workshop. It was inaugurated at QTML 2022 in Naples, followed by PLDI 2024 in Copenhagen and PLDI 2025 in Seoul. This year, we are returning to QTML — bringing together researchers and practitioners working on quantum programming languages, compilers, verification, and the software-hardware interface.
This year, WQS is co-located with QTML 2026 (Quantum Techniques in Machine Learning) in Stellenbosch, South Africa — creating a unique opportunity to connect the quantum software and quantum machine learning communities.
Workshop Goals
Three pillars of quantum software research
Language Design
High-level programming language definition through machine-independent syntax and semantics specifications for quantum computation.
Compilation
Structured methodologies for translating high-level quantum programs into executable form — bridging the gap between abstraction and hardware.
Formal Methods
Analysis of program properties, verification techniques, and compiler optimization — ensuring correctness in quantum software.
Call for Papers
The call for papers is now open. Submit your contributions via EasyChair.
Organization
Workshop chairs
Carsten Blank
Co-chair
data cybernetics ssc GmbH, Germany
Alessandra Di Pierro
Co-chair
University of Verona, Italy
Organizing Committee
To be announced.
Program Committee
To be announced.
Previous Edition
WQS 2025
The 2nd Workshop on Quantum Software took place at PLDI 2025 in Seoul, South Korea on June 17, 2025. It featured keynotes by Samson Abramsky (UCL), Yunong Shi (AWS), and Raphael Seidel (Fraunhofer), along with eight accepted papers on topics ranging from quantum loop semantics to circuit compilation with #SAT.
Supported by