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Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/quantumlib/Stim/llms.txt

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Stim ships a single stim executable that exposes all of its simulation and analysis capabilities as subcommands. After installing the Python package, the binary is available on your PATH and accepts the general form stim <command> [flags]. You can pipe circuits through stdin, redirect output to files, and chain commands together to build end-to-end quantum error correction workflows directly from the shell.

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Installation

pip install stim
Once installed, verify the binary is available: 
stim help

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Available commands

analyze_errors

Converts a Stim circuit into a detector error model (DEM). Supports error decomposition and loop folding for circuits with REPEAT blocks.

convert

Converts measurement or detection event data between result formats: 01, b8, r8, ptb64, hits, and dets.

detect

Samples detection events and observable flips from a noisy circuit. Writes detection data and observable data to separate files.

diagram

Produces ASCII, SVG, or GLTF diagrams of circuits and detector error models, including timeline and detector-slice views.

explain_errors

Maps detector error model errors back to the physical circuit errors that cause them, useful for debugging and decoder analysis.

gen

Generates annotated example circuits for the repetition code, surface code, and color code with configurable noise models.

help

Prints usage information for the stim binary and its subcommands.

m2d

Converts raw measurement data from hardware runs into detection event data by comparing against a reference sample derived from the circuit.

repl

Runs Stim in interactive read-evaluate-print-loop mode, measuring qubits and printing results as you type circuit instructions.

sample

Samples raw measurement results from a circuit. Supports multiple shots, seeded randomness, and all output data formats.

sample_dem

Samples detection events directly from a detector error model. Supports recording and replaying which errors occurred.

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Getting help

Every command supports a --help flag that prints its full usage, option list, and examples. 
# General help
stim help

# Help for a specific command
stim analyze_errors --help
stim gen --help
stim sample --help

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Common usage patterns

Generate a circuit and immediately analyze its errors: 
stim gen \
    --code repetition_code \
    --task memory \
    --distance 5 \
    --rounds 100 \
    --after_clifford_depolarization 0.001 \
    > rep_code.stim

stim analyze_errors --fold_loops --in rep_code.stim
Sample detection events and save observables separately: 
stim detect \
    --in rep_code.stim \
    --shots 10000 \
    --out_format b8 \
    --out detections.b8 \
    --obs_out observables.01 \
    --obs_out_format 01
Convert measurement data from hardware into detection events: 
stim m2d \
    --circuit rep_code.stim \
    --in hardware_measurements.01 \
    --in_format 01 \
    --out detections.dets \
    --out_format dets \
    --obs_out observables.01
Draw a text timeline diagram of a circuit: 
stim diagram --type timeline-text --in rep_code.stim
All commands read from stdin by default when --in is not specified, and write to stdout when --out is not specified. This makes it easy to compose commands with shell pipes.

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