Quantum computing framework for building, simulating, optimizing, and executing quantum circuits.

MITAuto-check passedResearch & Science

Install Cirq

skills CLI
$ npx skills add davila7/claude-code-templates --skill cirq -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install davila7/claude-code-templates cirq --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/davila7/claude-code-templates.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/cli-tool/components/skills/scientific/cirq .claude/skills/cirq && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Facts

Skill name
cirq
GitHub stars
33k
Used in
11 other repos
Token cost
~2.7k tokens
SKILL.md length
662 words
Files
7 (incl. references)
Skills in repo
479
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

Quantum computing framework for building, simulating, optimizing, and executing quantum circuits.

  • Works in 6 steps: Circuit Design → Simulation → Hardware Execution → …
  • Working with quantum algorithms
  • SKILL.md covers Installation, Quick Start, Core Capabilities and Common Patterns, plus 3 more sections
  • Calls uv

What it does

Cirq is an agent skill from davila7/claude-code-templates. Quantum computing framework for building, simulating, optimizing, and executing quantum circuits. Use this skill when working with quantum algorithms, quantum circuit design, quantum simulation (noiseless or noisy), running on quantum hardware (Google, IonQ, AQT, Pasqal), circuit optimization and compilation, noise modeling and characterization, or quantum experiments and benchmarking (VQE, QAOA, QPE, randomized benchmarking).

Its SKILL.md is about 2.7k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 7 other files, including reference files (for example `references/building.md`, `references/experiments.md` and `references/hardware.md`).

It sits in Research & Science, covering Quantum computing. The repository describes itself as: CLI tool for configuring and monitoring Claude Code. The licence is MIT.

When your agent uses it

  • Working with quantum algorithms
  • Quantum circuit design
  • Quantum simulation (noiseless
  • Running on quantum hardware (Google

Example prompts

  • “/cirq”

Requirements

  • Python 3

Workflow steps

6 steps, taken from the first numbered list in SKILL.md.

  1. Circuit Design
  2. Simulation
  3. Hardware Execution
  4. Circuit Optimization
  5. Noise Modeling
  6. Experiments

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit c0ca7da. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

  • Tool permissions

    Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.

    From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

  • Runs code

    Shell commands in SKILL.md call:

    • uv

    From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.

  • Network

    Links to these hosts (documentation or services it may open):

    • quantumai.google
    • github.com

    From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.

  • Credentials

    Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.

    From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

Cirq loads about 2.7k tokens when it runs, and up to ~19k if it reads all its reference files. Until then it costs about 109 tokens; SKILL.md has 662 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~109
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~2.7k
With references · SKILL.md plus every file in references/, read only if the agent opens them
~19k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from davila7/claude-code-templates at commit c0ca7da, republished under its MIT licence (© davila7). 662 words, ~2,666 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/cirq/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 6 other files; get the full folder from GitHub.
name
cirq
description
Quantum computing framework for building, simulating, optimizing, and executing quantum circuits. Use this skill when working with quantum algorithms, quantum circuit design, quantum simulation (noiseless or noisy), running on quantum hardware (Google, IonQ, AQT, Pasqal), circuit optimization and compilation, noise modeling and characterization, or quantum experiments and benchmarking (VQE, QAOA, QPE, randomized benchmarking).

Cirq - Quantum Computing with Python

Cirq is Google Quantum AI's open-source framework for designing, simulating, and running quantum circuits on quantum computers and simulators.

Installation

bash
uv pip install cirq

For hardware integration:

bash
# Google Quantum Engine
uv pip install cirq-google

# IonQ
uv pip install cirq-ionq

# AQT (Alpine Quantum Technologies)
uv pip install cirq-aqt

# Pasqal
uv pip install cirq-pasqal

# Azure Quantum
uv pip install azure-quantum cirq

Quick Start

Basic Circuit
python
import cirq
import numpy as np

# Create qubits
q0, q1 = cirq.LineQubit.range(2)

# Build circuit
circuit = cirq.Circuit(
    cirq.H(q0),              # Hadamard on q0
    cirq.CNOT(q0, q1),       # CNOT with q0 control, q1 target
    cirq.measure(q0, q1, key='result')
)

print(circuit)

# Simulate
simulator = cirq.Simulator()
result = simulator.run(circuit, repetitions=1000)

# Display results
print(result.histogram(key='result'))
Parameterized Circuit
python
import sympy

# Define symbolic parameter
theta = sympy.Symbol('theta')

# Create parameterized circuit
circuit = cirq.Circuit(
    cirq.ry(theta)(q0),
    cirq.measure(q0, key='m')
)

# Sweep over parameter values
sweep = cirq.Linspace('theta', start=0, stop=2*np.pi, length=20)
results = simulator.run_sweep(circuit, params=sweep, repetitions=1000)

# Process results
for params, result in zip(sweep, results):
    theta_val = params['theta']
    counts = result.histogram(key='m')
    print(f"θ={theta_val:.2f}: {counts}")

Core Capabilities

Circuit Building

For comprehensive information about building quantum circuits, including qubits, gates, operations, custom gates, and circuit patterns, see:

Common topics:

  • Qubit types (GridQubit, LineQubit, NamedQubit)
  • Single and two-qubit gates
  • Parameterized gates and operations
  • Custom gate decomposition
  • Circuit organization with moments
  • Standard circuit patterns (Bell states, GHZ, QFT)
  • Import/export (OpenQASM, JSON)
  • Working with qudits and observables
Simulation

For detailed information about simulating quantum circuits, including exact simulation, noisy simulation, parameter sweeps, and the Quantum Virtual Machine, see:

Common topics:

  • Exact simulation (state vector, density matrix)
  • Sampling and measurements
  • Parameter sweeps (single and multiple parameters)
  • Noisy simulation
  • State histograms and visualization
  • Quantum Virtual Machine (QVM)
  • Expectation values and observables
  • Performance optimization
Circuit Transformation

For information about optimizing, compiling, and manipulating quantum circuits, see:

Common topics:

  • Transformer framework
  • Gate decomposition
  • Circuit optimization (merge gates, eject Z gates, drop negligible operations)
  • Circuit compilation for hardware
  • Qubit routing and SWAP insertion
  • Custom transformers
  • Transformation pipelines
Hardware Integration

For information about running circuits on real quantum hardware from various providers, see:

Supported providers:

  • Google Quantum AI (cirq-google) - Sycamore, Weber processors
  • IonQ (cirq-ionq) - Trapped ion quantum computers
  • Azure Quantum (azure-quantum) - IonQ and Honeywell backends
  • AQT (cirq-aqt) - Alpine Quantum Technologies
  • Pasqal (cirq-pasqal) - Neutral atom quantum computers

Topics include device representation, qubit selection, authentication, job management, and circuit optimization for hardware.

Noise Modeling

For information about modeling noise, noisy simulation, characterization, and error mitigation, see:

Common topics:

  • Noise channels (depolarizing, amplitude damping, phase damping)
  • Noise models (constant, gate-specific, qubit-specific, thermal)
  • Adding noise to circuits
  • Readout noise
  • Noise characterization (randomized benchmarking, XEB)
  • Noise visualization (heatmaps)
  • Error mitigation techniques
Quantum Experiments

For information about designing experiments, parameter sweeps, data collection, and using the ReCirq framework, see:

Common topics:

  • Experiment design patterns
  • Parameter sweeps and data collection
  • ReCirq framework structure
  • Common algorithms (VQE, QAOA, QPE)
  • Data analysis and visualization
  • Statistical analysis and fidelity estimation
  • Parallel data collection

Common Patterns

Variational Algorithm Template
python
import scipy.optimize

def variational_algorithm(ansatz, cost_function, initial_params):
    """Template for variational quantum algorithms."""

    def objective(params):
        circuit = ansatz(params)
        simulator = cirq.Simulator()
        result = simulator.simulate(circuit)
        return cost_function(result)

    # Optimize
    result = scipy.optimize.minimize(
        objective,
        initial_params,
        method='COBYLA'
    )

    return result

# Define ansatz
def my_ansatz(params):
    q = cirq.LineQubit(0)
    return cirq.Circuit(
        cirq.ry(params[0])(q),
        cirq.rz(params[1])(q)
    )

# Define cost function
def my_cost(result):
    state = result.final_state_vector
    # Calculate cost based on state
    return np.real(state[0])

# Run optimization
result = variational_algorithm(my_ansatz, my_cost, [0.0, 0.0])
Hardware Execution Template
python
def run_on_hardware(circuit, provider='google', device_name='weber', repetitions=1000):
    """Template for running on quantum hardware."""

    if provider == 'google':
        import cirq_google
        engine = cirq_google.get_engine()
        processor = engine.get_processor(device_name)
        job = processor.run(circuit, repetitions=repetitions)
        return job.results()[0]

    elif provider == 'ionq':
        import cirq_ionq
        service = cirq_ionq.Service()
        result = service.run(circuit, repetitions=repetitions, target='qpu')
        return result

    elif provider == 'azure':
        from azure.quantum.cirq import AzureQuantumService
        # Setup workspace...
        service = AzureQuantumService(workspace)
        result = service.run(circuit, repetitions=repetitions, target='ionq.qpu')
        return result

    else:
        raise ValueError(f"Unknown provider: {provider}")
Noise Study Template
python
def noise_comparison_study(circuit, noise_levels):
    """Compare circuit performance at different noise levels."""

    results = {}

    for noise_level in noise_levels:
        # Create noisy circuit
        noisy_circuit = circuit.with_noise(cirq.depolarize(p=noise_level))

        # Simulate
        simulator = cirq.DensityMatrixSimulator()
        result = simulator.run(noisy_circuit, repetitions=1000)

        # Analyze
        results[noise_level] = {
            'histogram': result.histogram(key='result'),
            'dominant_state': max(
                result.histogram(key='result').items(),
                key=lambda x: x[1]
            )
        }

    return results

# Run study
noise_levels = [0.0, 0.001, 0.01, 0.05, 0.1]
results = noise_comparison_study(circuit, noise_levels)
Show full SKILL.md (273 more words)Show less

Best Practices

  1. Circuit Design

    • Use appropriate qubit types for your topology
    • Keep circuits modular and reusable
    • Label measurements with descriptive keys
    • Validate circuits against device constraints before execution
  2. Simulation

    • Use state vector simulation for pure states (more efficient)
    • Use density matrix simulation only when needed (mixed states, noise)
    • Leverage parameter sweeps instead of individual runs
    • Monitor memory usage for large systems (2^n grows quickly)
  3. Hardware Execution

    • Always test on simulators first
    • Select best qubits using calibration data
    • Optimize circuits for target hardware gateset
    • Implement error mitigation for production runs
    • Store expensive hardware results immediately
  4. Circuit Optimization

    • Start with high-level built-in transformers
    • Chain multiple optimizations in sequence
    • Track depth and gate count reduction
    • Validate correctness after transformation
  5. Noise Modeling

    • Use realistic noise models from calibration data
    • Include all error sources (gate, decoherence, readout)
    • Characterize before mitigating
    • Keep circuits shallow to minimize noise accumulation
  6. Experiments

    • Structure experiments with clear separation (data generation, collection, analysis)
    • Use ReCirq patterns for reproducibility
    • Save intermediate results frequently
    • Parallelize independent tasks
    • Document thoroughly with metadata

Additional Resources

Common Issues

Circuit too deep for hardware:

  • Use circuit optimization transformers to reduce depth
  • See transformation.md for optimization techniques

Memory issues with simulation:

  • Switch from density matrix to state vector simulator
  • Reduce number of qubits or use stabilizer simulator for Clifford circuits

Device validation errors:

  • Check qubit connectivity with device.metadata.nx_graph
  • Decompose gates to device-native gateset
  • See hardware.md for device-specific compilation

Noisy simulation too slow:

  • Density matrix simulation is O(2^2n) - consider reducing qubits
  • Use noise models selectively on critical operations only
  • See simulation.md for performance optimization

© davila7, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

SKILL.md and 6 other files (references) in cli-tool/components/skills/scientific/cirq of davila7/claude-code-templates.

  • SKILL.md
  • references/building.md
  • references/experiments.md
  • references/hardware.md
  • references/noise.md
  • references/simulation.md
  • references/transformation.md

Open the folder on GitHubat commit c0ca7da

Used in 11 other repositories

We found 25 copies of this SKILL.md (exact, near-identical or edited) in other folders, from 11 other GitHub owners. This page covers the copy in davila7/claude-code-templates, which our catalogue first saw on October 7, 2026.

Compare with similar skills

Cirq next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.

Cirq compared with similar skills
SkillStarsUsed inTokensAuto-checkLicenceRepo updated
Cirq this skilldavila7/claude-code-templates33k11 repos~2.7kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Qiskit 2.x Quantum ML Referenceaiming-lab/AutoResearchClaw15k—~4.7kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
QutipzLanqing/codex-claude-academic-skills4.7k8 repos~2.3kAutomated safety check: PassBSD-3-Clause
Mindquantummindspore-ai/mindquantum102—~2.3kAutomated safety check: PassApache-2.0
Mq Circuit Compilermindspore-ai/mindquantum102—~1.7kAutomated safety check: PassApache-2.0
Mq Noisy Simulationmindspore-ai/mindquantum102—~2.2kAutomated safety check: PassApache-2.0

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Questions about Cirq

What does Cirq do?

Quantum computing framework for building, simulating, optimizing, and executing quantum circuits. Cirq is an agent skill from davila7/claude-code-templates. Quantum computing framework for building, simulating, optimizing, and executing quantum circuits.

When should I use Cirq?

Cirq fits situations like: working with quantum algorithms; quantum circuit design; quantum simulation (noiseless; running on quantum hardware (Google.

How do I install Cirq in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add davila7/claude-code-templates --skill cirq -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (cli-tool/components/skills/scientific/cirq in davila7/claude-code-templates) into .claude/skills/cirq in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Cirq in Codex?

Run `npx skills add davila7/claude-code-templates --skill cirq -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (cli-tool/components/skills/scientific/cirq in davila7/claude-code-templates) into .agents/skills/cirq in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Cirq in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add davila7/claude-code-templates --skill cirq -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/cirq, .gemini/skills/cirq, .github/skills/cirq and .opencode/skills/cirq in your project.

What does Cirq need to run?

Going by SKILL.md and its folder, Cirq needs the command-line tools its instructions call (uv). Our summary lists: Python 3.

Does Cirq access the network?

SKILL.md names 2 domains. As links in the text: quantumai.google and github.com. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Cirq safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does Cirq use?

Cirq is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Cirq use?

About 2.7k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 11k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full. Its references folder adds about 16k tokens, read only when the agent opens those files.

What are the alternatives to Cirq?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Cirq: Qiskit 2.x Quantum ML Reference (aiming-lab/AutoResearchClaw, 15k stars), Qutip (zLanqing/codex-claude-academic-skills, 4.7k stars), Mindquantum (mindspore-ai/mindquantum, 102 stars) and Mq Circuit Compiler (mindspore-ai/mindquantum, 102 stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Cirq?

davila7 (a GitHub user) maintains it in davila7/claude-code-templates, which has 32,512 GitHub stars. The repository holds 479 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 10, 2026.

Source: davila7/claude-code-templates on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.