---

name: "qutip" description: "Router for QuTiP quantum-object construction, solver, open-system, and visualization workflows." metadata: disco-role: operating disable-model-invocation: true license: BSD 3-Clause

QuTiP

QuTiP is the quantum toolbox for constructing quantum objects, evolving open and closed systems, and visualizing quantum states and processes in Python.

Use this skill when the task mentions QuTiP, Qobj, mesolve, steadystate, Bloch spheres, Wigner functions, PIQS, HEOM, qsave, or any other QuTiP API.

Quick start

Install the package you want to use first:

python -m pip install qutip

For the most common interactive workflows, install the plotting and runtime-compilation extras too:

python -m pip install "qutip[graphics,runtime_compilation,extras]"

Minimal sanity check:

python -c "import qutip; print(qutip.__version__)"

If you want a fuller private smoke check, run scripts/import_and_about.py after installation.

Choose a subskill

sub-skills/core-objects/

Use this for Qobj, states, operators, tensor products, superoperators, random states, measurements, entropy, metrics, partial transpose, and basic quantum-object manipulation.

sub-skills/dynamics-and-solvers/

Use this for sesolve, mesolve, mcsolve, steady-state solves, QobjEvo, time-dependent coefficients, propagators, correlation functions, spectra, Floquet workflows, and solver configuration.

sub-skills/specialized-open-systems/

Use this for PIQS, HEOM, environment models, Bloch-Redfield, transfer-tensor, and other advanced open-system model families.

sub-skills/analysis-and-io/

Use this for Bloch spheres, Hinton plots, Wigner and quasi-probability plots, tomography, animation, file I/O, about(), cite(), and notebook helper workflows.

When workflows span multiple subskills

• Build Qobj inputs with core-objects, then route the evolution to dynamics-and-solvers.
• If a solver result must be plotted or saved, use analysis-and-io after the dynamics step.
• If the model starts with a bath, Dicke basis, or HEOM hierarchy, begin in specialized-open-systems, then return to dynamics-and-solvers only for generic solver mechanics.
• If a plotting failure is caused by a malformed Qobj, diagnose the object in core-objects before changing Matplotlib code.

Do not use this skill when

• The task is only generic NumPy/SciPy array manipulation with no QuTiP objects or APIs.
• The task is source-repository maintenance, release engineering, or contributing to QuTiP internals rather than using the package.
• The task needs the external qutip-qip package specifically; treat that as a separate package dependency.

Cross-cutting references

Read these when you need package-wide context rather than one workflow:

• references/installation.md for install variants, optional extras, and import checks.
• references/api-index.md for a compact map of the main public entry points.
• references/workflows.md for short end-to-end examples that show how the subskills fit together.
• references/troubleshooting.md for import, build, plotting, coefficient-compilation, and backend issues.
• references/repo-provenance.md for source revision details.

Runtime conventions

• Use qutip.about() when you need a quick environment and dependency summary.
• Use qutip.settings when solver, cache, CPU-count, or plotting behavior looks surprising.
• Prefer the subskill that matches the primary workflow; do not dump every QuTiP topic into one answer.
• Keep generated instructions self-contained; do not rely on the original checkout remaining available.

Bundled helper

• scripts/import_and_about.py — prints a quick import-and-version report with qutip.about().