{
  "abstract": "Quantum programs pass through compilers, transpilers and vendor services before execution. However, the distance between what was written and what runs is rarely measured. We call this distance realization divergence: the observable difference in how an identical source circuit is realized and behaves across quantum software stacks. We report a hardware study across three vendors and four devices, combining pre-registered predictions with explicitly identified exploratory analyses and amendments. In a compilation experiment with assigned placement policies, embedding radius correlates with two-qubit overhead at Spearman 0.805, against 0.492 for circuit size. Under a fixed lowest-index policy, an eight-qubit Bernstein-Vazirani circuit exhibits greater execution divergence than a twelve-qubit circuit on IQM Emerald. The opposite ordering occurs on IQM Garnet. Both comparisons replicate across two repetitions with disjoint confidence intervals. These results support a placement-dependent explanation, without isolating individual hardware noise mechanisms. The same ordering inversion is absent on the all-to-all IonQ control. On Rigetti Cepheus, a follow-up using topology-aware native placement found no consistent advantage in correct-answer probability for either submission track, but did not establish equivalence between the tracks. Structural comparisons depend on metric weighting, placement and device generation. Provider interfaces also limit observability: Rigetti's supported-operation list remained unchanged across a device generation that replaced the native entangler. We classify silent interface failures in composed toolchains and identify checks at toolchain boundaries, connecting valid cross-provider comparisons with concrete software-quality practices.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": "2610.21714",
  "author_total": 3,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Jouni Peltonen"
    },
    {
      "name": "Vlad Stirbu"
    },
    {
      "name": "Tommi Mikkonen"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/7ttwnw3zpq9a3.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.48550/arxiv.2610.21714",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "7ttwnw3zpq9a3",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.21714",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "LicenseRef-arXiv-nonexclusive-1.0",
  "licence_label": "arXiv licence",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "http://arxiv.org/licenses/nonexclusive-distrib/1.0/",
  "metadata_licence": "CC0-1.0",
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "arxiv",
      "cs.SE"
    ],
    [
      "arxiv",
      "quant-ph"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "1702|Quantum Computing Algorithms and Architecture"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7222543336",
  "pdf_url": "https://arxiv.org/pdf/2610.21714",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-15",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/7ttwnw3zpq9a3.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:29:50Z",
      "native_id": "2610.21714",
      "source": "arxiv",
      "url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.21714"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "physics",
      "origin": "arxiv:quant-ph",
      "subfield": "quantum"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Realization Divergence in Multi-Provider Quantum Computing: A Pre-Registered Study of What Survives Measurement",
  "title_text": "Realization Divergence in Multi-Provider Quantum Computing: A Pre-Registered Study of What Survives Measurement",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:29:50Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/7ttwnw3zpq9a3",
  "venue": "arXiv",
  "versions": []
}