Challenges and Practices in Quantum Software Testing and Debugging

This document is a research article that investigates the challenges and practices in quantum software testing and debugging as experienced by practitioners in the field. The study involved a survey of 26 quantum software developers from both academia and industry, followed by in-depth interviews with four participants. The findings reveal that while all participants engage in testing, most commonly through unit, regression, and acceptance tests, only 31% utilize quantum-specific testing tools, indicating a reliance on classical methods. The debugging practices reported are similarly classical in nature, with common strategies including print statements and circuit visualizations. The primary sources of bugs identified were classical issues such as library updates, developer errors, and compatibility problems. The article emphasizes the urgent need for better-aligned testing and debugging tools tailored to the unique requirements of quantum development. Additionally, it offers actionable recommendations based on the empirical findings to enhance quantum software engineering practices.