IBM Expands Qiskit Beyond Python with Native C API Bindings for Fortran, C++, and Julia – Quantum Computing Report

IBM Quantum has released details on the expansion of its open-source software stack, introducing native C API bindings (qiskit.h) that connect the core Rust data model of Qiskit v2.0 directly to the primary programming languages of high-performance computing (HPC): Fortran, C++, and Julia.

While Python remains the standard entry point for quantum software development, classical supercomputing simulation codes in chemistry, physics, and material science rely heavily on compiled languages. By exposing a unified C interface to Qiskit’s Rust core, IBM enables researchers to construct, transpile, and execute quantum circuits natively within classical HPC application suites without calling an intermediate Python interpreter or incurring Global Interpreter Lock (GIL) performance overhead.