Two-qubit gate (source code)

= Two-qubit gate
{title2=$U\in U(4)$}

A two-qubit gate is a <unitary operator> on two <qubit> lines, extended by the identity on the others. It may be entangling, as a <CNOT gate> is, or a product of local operations. In a <Hamiltonian simulation> model allowing arbitrary two-qubit gates, the exponential of a Hermitian term supported on two lines counts as one such gate. Compiling it into a fixed discrete <universal quantum gate set> introduces a separate approximation cost.