Exploiting the Power of Quantum Computers: Programming, Access Control and Concurrency

Zhang, Zhicheng

Exploiting the Power of Quantum Computers: Programming, Access Control and Concurrency

Zhang, Zhicheng

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Publication Type:: Thesis
Issue Date:: 2025

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Zhang, Zhicheng
dc.date.accessioned	2026-05-13T02:31:21Z
dc.date.available	2026-05-13T02:31:21Z
dc.date.issued	2025
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/194955
dc.description	University of Technology Sydney. Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology.	en_US.UTF-8
dc.description.abstract	Exploiting the power of quantum computing relies on foundational software that ensures its convenient, efficient, and safe utilisation. The distinct nature of quantum mechanics introduces new challenges for quantum software design. This thesis contributes to identifying and addressing such challenges from the following three perspectives: • Programming: The first part explores quantum recursive programming, an emerging paradigm that enables compact and elegant programming of complex quantum algorithms. We focus on efficiently implementing such programs, which involve an intricate interplay between two features: quantum control flow and recursive procedure calls. To handle this interplay, we propose the quantum register machine, a new architecture that provides simultaneous instruction-level support for both features. Based on this, we describe a comprehensive implementation process, including compilation, partial evaluation of quantum control flow, and execution on the quantum register machine. Significantly, our efficient implementation of quantum recursive programs also offers automatic parallelisation of quantum algorithms. • Access control: To ensure the security of multi-programming quantum computers, the second part investigates access control in quantum operating systems. Access control is a cornerstone of computer security that prevents unauthorised access to resources. We identify a security threat arising from quantum entanglement as existing operating systems integrate quantum computing. In particular, we present an explicit scenario in which a security breach occurs when a classically secure access control system is straightforwardly adapted to the quantum setting. To protect against such threats, we propose several new models of quantum access control and rigorously analyse their security, flexibility, and efficiency. • Concurrency: The third part examines the atomicity assumption in distributed quantum computing, a fundamental concept in concurrency control, which is crucial for scaling up quantum computational power through distributed systems. While atomic actions have well-established guarantees in classical computing, their rigorous basis in quantum computing remains largely unexplored. We identify key challenges in guaranteeing the atomicity assumption that arise from quantum entanglement and the quantum measurement problem. To address these challenges, we establish a formal model of non-atomic distributed quantum systems and use it to provide a rigorous guarantee for the atomicity of local actions in the quantum setting.	en_US.UTF-8
dc.format	Thesis (PhD)
dc.language.iso	en_US	en_US.UTF-8
dc.relation	https://opus.lib.uts.edu.au/bitstream/10453/194955/1/thesis.pdf
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.rights	The author owns the copyright in this thesis including all reproduction and reuse rights for the work. The work may not be altered without the permission of the copyright owner. Attribution is essential when quoting or paraphrasing from this thesis.
dc.rights	© 2025 Zhicheng Zhang
dc.rights	au.edu.uts.lib/cph
dc.title	Exploiting the Power of Quantum Computers: Programming, Access Control and Concurrency	en_US.UTF-8
dc.type	Thesis
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*

Abstract:

Exploiting the power of quantum computing relies on foundational software that ensures its convenient, efficient, and safe utilisation. The distinct nature of quantum mechanics introduces new challenges for quantum software design. This thesis contributes to identifying and addressing such challenges from the following three perspectives: • Programming: The first part explores quantum recursive programming, an emerging paradigm that enables compact and elegant programming of complex quantum algorithms. We focus on efficiently implementing such programs, which involve an intricate interplay between two features: quantum control flow and recursive procedure calls. To handle this interplay, we propose the quantum register machine, a new architecture that provides simultaneous instruction-level support for both features. Based on this, we describe a comprehensive implementation process, including compilation, partial evaluation of quantum control flow, and execution on the quantum register machine. Significantly, our efficient implementation of quantum recursive programs also offers automatic parallelisation of quantum algorithms. • Access control: To ensure the security of multi-programming quantum computers, the second part investigates access control in quantum operating systems. Access control is a cornerstone of computer security that prevents unauthorised access to resources. We identify a security threat arising from quantum entanglement as existing operating systems integrate quantum computing. In particular, we present an explicit scenario in which a security breach occurs when a classically secure access control system is straightforwardly adapted to the quantum setting. To protect against such threats, we propose several new models of quantum access control and rigorously analyse their security, flexibility, and efficiency. • Concurrency: The third part examines the atomicity assumption in distributed quantum computing, a fundamental concept in concurrency control, which is crucial for scaling up quantum computational power through distributed systems. While atomic actions have well-established guarantees in classical computing, their rigorous basis in quantum computing remains largely unexplored. We identify key challenges in guaranteeing the atomicity assumption that arise from quantum entanglement and the quantum measurement problem. To address these challenges, we establish a formal model of non-atomic distributed quantum systems and use it to provide a rigorous guarantee for the atomicity of local actions in the quantum setting.

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