Workers calibrate and install the China's independently developed third-generation superconducting quantum computer. Photo:Courtesy of Anhui Quantum Computing Engineering Research Center

China's first domestically developed quantum computer operating system, Origin Pilot, has been made available for online download, the Global Times learned from the Anhui Quantum Computing Engineering Research Center on Wednesday. 

The center said the release marks the world's first open-source quantum computer operating system available for public download, which is expected to lower development barriers and support the growth of China's quantum computing ecosystem.

Developed by Hefei-based Origin Quantum Computing Technology Co, the company behind China's third-generation superconducting quantum computer, Origin Wukong, Origin Pilot was first released in 2021 and has gone through multiple rounds of iteration and upgrade. 

The developer describes it as an integrated quantum-classical-intelligent computing operating system compatible with major hardware approaches, including superconducting qubits, trapped ions and neutral atoms. It is now deployed on the company's Origin Wukong series and is available to external users, the company said.

Guo Guoping, chief scientist of Origin Quantum and director at the Anhui Quantum Computing Engineering Research Center, told the Global Times that a quantum operating system is the "soft heart" of the quantum computing ecosystem. He said the decision to make Origin Pilot available globally marks a shift in China's quantum computing industry from closed-door tech innovation to broader open-source ecosystem development. 

"This is a key step in advancing coordinated national development efforts and an important move to promote efficient flows of quantum innovation resources that can benefit global innovators," Guo said.

A quantum computer operating system manages core functions such as resource scheduling and hardware-software coordination. According to the research center, Origin Pilot supports capabilities central to practical quantum computing deployment, including parallel execution of quantum tasks and automatic qubit calibration, which will significantly improve overall system efficiency.

Globally, there is not yet a widely adopted quantum computer operating system available for local deployment or download, the center said. Major US companies such as IBM and Google provide quantum programming frameworks and cloud services, but their underlying operating systems have not been made publicly downloadable.

Dou Menghan, head of the research team, said that users can download the operating system from the official website. "Users can quickly integrate with quantum chips of multiple physical types and, using autonomous programming frameworks such as QPanda, execute quantum computing jobs across different physical quantum chips to support both research and commercialization needs," Dou told the Global Times.

By providing a unified programming interface and a standardized driver system, Origin Pilot helps overcome technical barriers in core quantum software, the center said, adding that the open-download model will allow research institutions, universities and developers worldwide to access a quantum computing operating system developed in China.