There are two key problems in wireless sensor networks（WSNs） which are routing search and energy optimization.The improved quantum genetic algorithm（QGA） is used to search optimal route and proposed an energy-saving strategy to improve energy consumption.In traditional encoding

while network scale spread

the algorithm encoding length increased quickly.Meanwhile

the algorithm’s computational complexity will be much higher.So the encoding is improved to solve these problems

and made the routing algorithm available for large-scale WSNs.Simulation shows that the improved QGA can get more superior and stable routing path.Comparing to particle swarm optimization

this method increased by 18.9 % in average optimal solution and improved by 38.9 % in stability after 1000 repeated simulation.