FORCE: Foundations Of Reliable Classical-Quantum Engineering (2026)

Quantum computing and networking represent a transformative shift in computational systems, bringing unique challenges for ensuring system dependability. Current Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum (NISQ) devices exhibit significantly higher error rates than classical computers, necessitating new approaches to error management. Beyond hardware concerns, quantum systems face distinct software dependability challenges, including the need for robust algorithms and novel verification methodologies that account for the probabilistic nature of quantum measurements.

The integration of quantum devices with traditional infrastructure introduces additional complexity, particularly in coordinating multiple quantum devices across distributed locations. A key challenge is the lack of standardized high-level architectures for heterogeneous systems that incorporate CPUs, GPUs, and QPUs (Quantum Processing Units). Security considerations add another crucial dimension, as quantum systems must be protected against both traditional and quantum-specific vulnerabilities, including side-channel attacks and information leakage during measurement.

While progress has been made in understanding various noise sources, the field lacks comprehensive predictive models for quantum error propagation, especially as systems scale to larger qubit counts. The workshop aims to address these challenges by uniting quantum computing and dependability experts to establish rigorous methodologies for quantum dependability engineering. Key focus areas include developing fault models spanning quantum and classical domains, end-to-end system dependability assessment, and practical fault-tolerance schemes, while working toward new standards appropriate for quantum systems.

Call for Papers

Accepted papers will be included in the supplement to the DSN Proceedings (DSN-W volume) and made available on IEEE Xplore.

The workshop welcomes submissions addressing dependability aspects of quantum systems, including but not limited to:

• Dependable system architectures and interfaces for fault-tolerant hybrid quantum-classical HPC computing

• Characterization and modeling of quantum noise sources and decoherence effects and techniques to counteract these to increase the dependability of the system

• Reliability assessment of quantum control systems and interfaces

• Integration of hardware topology, error and noise models with compilation and transpilation frameworks

• Novel techniques for quantum error detection, correction, mitigation, and suppression and their implementation challenges

• Testing methodologies for quantum algorithms and their physical implementation

• Benchmarking methods for quantum system reliability

• Validation of hybrid quantum-classical systems

• Dependable integration approaches of quantum devices with classical infrastructures and related implementation challenges

• Side-channel attacks and countermeasures in quantum systems

• Privacy-preserving quantum computation

• Trust and certification of quantum devices

• Software tools for quantum reliability assessment

• Programming models for dependable quantum-classical HPC applications

• Quantum systems benchmarking methodologies and standardization of quantum reliability metrics

• Experiences from quantum-classical HPC deployments addressing dependability issues

Submission Details and Guidelines

All accepted papers will be included in the DSN-W supplement to the DSN Proceedings and made available on IEEE Xplore.

• Submission Deadline: March 31th, 2026 (AoE)

• Notification of Acceptance: April 15th, 2026 (AoE)

• Camera Ready Submission: April 27th, 2026 (AoE)

Submissions must follow the IEEE Computer Society camera-ready format (8.5″x11″, two-column layout, 10-point font, 12-point single-spaced leading). Templates are available on the IEEE conference template page.

• Short Papers (up to 4 pages, including references)

• Regular Papers (up to 8 pages, including references)

Submission link: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=dsn_2026 (Track of Foundations Of Reliable Classical-Quantum Engineering)

When clicking on "make a new submission" you will be redirected to a page where  you can select our "Foundations Of Reliable Classical-quantum Engineering" workshop.

Each accepted paper must have 1 distinct workshop or full conference registration to be included in the proceedings.
The author registration deadline is May 10th 2026.
Registration details can be found here: DSN 2026  
Remote presentation could be an option, depending on conditions.

Organizing Committee

• Edoardo Giusto, University of Naples Federico II, egiusto@ieee.org - General Co-Chair

• Betis Baheri, State University of New York - Canton, baherib@canton.edu  - General Co-Chair

Program Committee

• Carmen Almudever, Technical University of Valencia

• Betis Baheri, SUNY Canton

• Alessandro Cilardo, University of Naples Federico II

• Olivia Di Matteo, University of British Columbia

• Edoardo Giusto, University of Naples Federico II

• Hailong Jiang, Youngstown State University

• Zhiding Liang, Chinese University Hong Kong

• Nicola Mazzocca, University of Naples Federico II

• Safa Shubbar, SUNY Canton

• Santiago Núñez-Corrales, NCSA/UIUC

• Ed Younis, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory