Skip to main content
← zooHow Qubits WorkHow Gates Happen

How Gates Happen

Gates are shaped microwave pulses. The pulse shape controls spectral leakage, while small amplitude, detuning, and phase errors set the final state error. Explore both levers below.

Pulse Shape and Leakage

Unit amplitudeSimple DFT
Shape
Pulse Length40 ns
Time domain
Amplitudetime
Frequency domain
Magnitudefrequency
Leakage metric: 0.000Smoother pulses concentrate power near the carrier.

Control Errors

Target = pi/2 around X
Amp error0%
Detuning0.00
Phase0 deg
Infidelity ~ 1.000
Bloch YZ plane
+Y+Z
Axis: [1.00, 0.00, 0.00]
P(|1⟩) after gate: 0.500
Target state: +Y axis (ideal pi/2 about X)
Small axis or angle errors accumulate into measurable gate infidelity.

Series Map

Live

How We Tune a Qubit

Spectroscopy + calibration basics.

Open →
Live

Why Qubits Forget

T1, T2, decoherence, and linewidth.

Open →
Live

How Qubits Talk

Avoided crossings and coupling.

Open →
Live

How Gates Happen

Pulses, leakage, and control errors.

Open →
Live

How We Measure

Dispersive readout + fidelity.

Open →
Live

How We Scale

Topology, routing, and spectral crowding.

Open →