Rigetti Vocabulary

vocabulary: Rigetti Computing
providerId: rigetti
created: '2026-05-25'
modified: '2026-05-25'
description: Domain vocabulary covering Rigetti Computing's superconducting quantum computing stack — Quantum
  Cloud Services (QCS), the Quil instruction language, qcs-sdk client family, and Rigetti's hardware product line.
sources:
  - https://docs.rigetti.com/qcs/
  - https://docs.api.qcs.rigetti.com/
  - https://github.com/quil-lang/quil
  - https://www.rigetti.com/
terms:
  - term: QCS
    fullName: Quantum Cloud Services
    definition: Rigetti's cloud platform for accessing quantum processors. Comprises an OpenAPI 3.0 HTTP API
      (api.qcs.rigetti.com) for management and a gRPC API (translation + controller services) for execution.
  - term: QPU
    fullName: Quantum Processing Unit
    definition: A physical superconducting quantum processor at Rigetti — e.g. Aspen-M, Ankaa, Cepheus-1-108Q.
  - term: Quil
    fullName: Quantum Instruction Language
    definition: Rigetti's open low-level instruction language for hybrid quantum-classical programs. Stewarded
      under quil-lang.
  - term: pyQuil
    definition: Python library for programming quantum computers using Quil. Compiles via quilc and simulates
      via QVM; submits jobs to a QPU via qcs-sdk.
  - term: quilc
    fullName: Quil Compiler
    definition: Compiler that lowers high-level Quil programs to a QPU's native gate set per the target ISA.
  - term: QVM
    fullName: Quantum Virtual Machine
    definition: Local classical simulator for Quil programs. Used for testing and small-scale simulation.
  - term: ISA
    fullName: Instruction Set Architecture
    definition: The native gate set and connectivity description for a QPU. Retrieved via GET
      /v1/quantumProcessors/{id}/instructionSetArchitecture.
  - term: Engagement
    definition: A short-lived access credential scoped to a single QPU endpoint, created via POST
      /v1/engagements. Used as the bearer for gRPC Controller calls.
  - term: Endpoint
    definition: A QCS-managed network address that fronts a Controller service for a specific QPU. Listed,
      created, deleted, and restarted via /v1/endpoints.
  - term: Reservation
    definition: A time-boxed exclusive access window to a QPU. Created and managed via /v1/reservations.
  - term: Controller Job
    definition: An encrypted, ISA-compiled artifact produced by the Translation service and executed on a QPU
      by the Controller service.
  - term: Translation Service
    definition: gRPC service that converts a native Quil program into an encrypted Controller Job for a target
      QPU.
  - term: Controller Service
    definition: gRPC service that executes Controller Jobs on a QPU endpoint and returns measurement results.
  - term: QIR
    fullName: Quantum Intermediate Representation
    definition: An LLVM-based IR for quantum programs supported by Rigetti via qcs-sdk-qir.
  - term: Novera QPU
    definition: Rigetti's 9-qubit on-premises superconducting QPU product.
  - term: Cepheus-1-108Q
    definition: Rigetti's 107-qubit superconducting QPU, deployed April 2026; 99.84% 1Q fidelity and 98.77% 2Q
      CZ fidelity at the time of deployment.
  - term: Forest
    definition: Rigetti's legacy quantum programming environment (pyQuil + grove + forest-benchmarking + QVM +
      quilc). Largely subsumed by qcs-sdk and pyQuil 4.x.
  - term: Foundry Services
    definition: Rigetti's custom QPU development and partner program, operated out of the Fab-1 facility in
      Fremont, CA.
  - term: Quantum Foundry
    definition: Rigetti's in-house chip fabrication facility (Fab-1) in Fremont, California.
classifications:
  - name: Authentication
    members:
      - OAuth2 access token (Okta)
      - JWT Bearer
      - Engagement token (gRPC)
  - name: Surfaces
    members:
      - QCS HTTP API
      - QCS Translation gRPC
      - QCS Controller gRPC
      - pyQuil
      - qcs-sdk-rust
      - qcs-sdk-python
      - qcs-sdk-c
      - qcs-cli
  - name: Resources
    members:
      - Quantum Processor
      - Endpoint
      - Engagement
      - Reservation
      - Controller Job
      - Billing Invoice
      - Billing Customer
      - Group
      - User
  - name: Indirect channels
    members:
      - AWS Braket
      - Microsoft Azure Quantum
      - Google Cirq Rigetti module
      - Qiskit (qiskit-rigetti provider)