Quantum OpenQASM Assistant — VS Code Extension

VS Code / Cursor extension for IBM Quantum — run OpenQASM 2.0 .qasm circuits on real quantum hardware via the Model Context Protocol (MCP). Quantum Lab panel, job polling, histogram results, Diagnostics UI, and one-click MCP registration for Cursor, VS Code, Bob & Antigravity.

Publisher: markusvankempen · Extension ID: quantum-openqasm-assistant · Version: 1.9.2 · NPM MCP: @markusvankempen/quantum-openqasm-mcp@1.9.2

Search terms: vscode quantum extension · openqasm vscode · ibm quantum vscode · quantum lab · submit qasm · mcp quantum · cursor quantum · qiskit developer pack · claude desktop mcp · bell state hardware

Features

Feature	Description
Quantum Lab	OpenQASM 2.0 editor — run circuits on IBM hardware
Qiskit Lab	Dedicated Qiskit Python panel · Aer sim · transpile → OpenQASM → hardware
Setup Lab Qiskit	MCP bundle: qiskit-ibm-transpiler, code assistant, quantum-assistant alias
Load / Save circuits	Open and save OpenQASM 2.0 `.qasm` files from Quantum Lab
Live job polling	Auto-polls job status every 15s with elapsed time
Histogram results	Measurement counts as bar chart with Bell-state fidelity
Ask AI prompts	MCP workflow prompts (transpiler vs quantum-assistant split)
MCP local/remote	Local stdio npm MCP or remote Code Engine SSE
Diagnostics panel	Test auth, backends, Python Qiskit stack, and save all settings

Quick Start

1. Install

code --install-extension quantum-openqasm-assistant-1.9.2.vsix

Or install from the Extensions Marketplace by searching Quantum OpenQASM Assistant (publisher: markusvankempen).

2. Configure

Open Settings (Cmd+,) and search quantumAssistant, or use Quantum: Open Diagnostics Panel from the sidebar.

Setting	Description
`ibmApiKey`	IBM Cloud API Key — cloud.ibm.com/iam/apikeys
`ibmServiceCrn`	Service CRN from your IBM Quantum instance
`ibmEndpoint`	Default: `https://us-east.quantum-computing.cloud.ibm.com`
`defaultBackend`	`ibm_fez` / `ibm_marrakesh` / `ibm_kingston`
`mcpMode`	`local` (spawn npm MCP) or `remote` (Code Engine SSE)
`remoteMcpUrl`	Remote SSE URL when `mcpMode = remote` (e.g. `https://…codeengine…/sse`)

Remote mode (Code Engine): open Diagnostics → MCP Mode remote → paste SSE URL → Test Remote Gateway → Save. No IBM API key needed on your machine for Quantum Lab.

📖 Extension remote MCP guide · Code Engine deploy

3. Use

Click the ⚛ atom icon in the Activity Bar → Open Quantum Lab
Select an example circuit (Bell State, GHZ, etc.) or paste your own
Click ▶ Run on Hardware
Results appear as a histogram once the job completes

Commands

Command	Description
`Quantum: Open Quantum Lab`	Open the main Quantum Lab panel
`Quantum: Submit Current OpenQASM File`	Submit the active `.qasm` editor file
`Quantum: Check Job Status`	Fetch results for a known job ID
`Quantum: Open Diagnostics Panel`	Configure credentials and test connection
`Quantum: Setup Local MCP (Cursor / VS Code / Bob / Antigravity)`	Register local stdio MCP with your credentials
`Quantum: Setup Remote MCP (Code Engine SSE)`	Register `quantum-openqasm-mcp-remote` SSE URL for AI IDEs
`Quantum: Update MCP npm Package`	Install latest `@markusvankempen/quantum-openqasm-mcp` from npm
`Quantum: Load OpenQASM 2.0 Circuit`	Open a `.qasm` file into the editor and Quantum Lab
`Quantum: Save OpenQASM 2.0 Circuit`	Save the active `.qasm` file or circuit from Quantum Lab

MCP Server

Local mode: uses @markusvankempen/quantum-openqasm-mcp from npm (global install or npx) for Quantum Lab and submit. Set quantumAssistant.useNpmMcp = false to use bundled out/server.js instead.

Remote mode: set mcpMode = remote and remoteMcpUrl to your Code Engine /sse endpoint. The extension uses SSEClientTransport — credentials stay on the gateway. Use Diagnostics → Test Remote Gateway before running circuits.

flowchart LR
    Ext[Extension Quantum Lab]
    Local[Local npm MCP stdio]
    Remote[Code Engine /sse]
    IBM[IBM Quantum]

    Ext -->|mcpMode local| Local --> IBM
    Ext -->|mcpMode remote| Remote --> IBM

Standalone npm package (stdio MCP, no UI):

npx @markusvankempen/quantum-openqasm-mcp

Docs: npm package README · GitHub

AI IDE MCP integration (Cursor, VS Code, Bob, Antigravity)

Use Quantum: Setup MCP (sidebar or Diagnostics panel) to register quantum-openqasm-mcp in all supported IDEs.

Document	Description
Main README	Project overview, architecture, quick start
Local MCP setup	Cursor, VS Code, Bob, Antigravity stdio config
Extension remote MCP	Quantum Lab on Code Engine SSE
Remote MCP setup	IDE `mcp.json` for Code Engine
Deployment scenarios	Local, Code Engine, Docker, hybrid
Project structure	Full repo layout

Development

cd extension
npm install
node esbuild.js              # dev bundle → out/
node esbuild.js --production   # minified, no sourcemaps (for publish)
npm run package              # → quantum-openqasm-assistant-<version>.vsix

Publish (Marketplace & Open VSX)

From the extension/ directory after a production build:

# 1. Bump version in package.json, then:
npm run bundle:production

# 2. Package VSIX
npm run package

# 3a. VS Code Marketplace (publisher: markusvankempen)
npx @vscode/vsce login markusvankempen
npm run publish:vsce

# 3b. Open VSX (Cursor / VSCodium)
npx ovsx login
npm run publish:ovsx
# or: npx ovsx publish quantum-openqasm-assistant-<version>.vsix --no-dependencies

VSIX must include: out/extension.js, out/server.js, scripts/run-mcp-server.mjs, media/, docs/, resources/, LICENSE, README.md.

Repository: github.com/markusvankempen/quantum-openqasm-assistant

Topics & keywords

vscode-extension · quantum-computing · openqasm · qasm · ibm-quantum · quantum-lab · quantum-circuit · mcp · model-context-protocol · cursor · ibm-bob · antigravity · job-polling · histogram · bell-state · qiskit · quantum-hardware · ai-assistant

Author: Markus van Kempen
Email: markus.van.kempen@gmail.com · mvk@ca.ibm.com
Website: markusvankempen.github.io
No bug too small, no syntax too weird.