Used in: RGTI analysis, quantum computing, Week 20
What It Is
Gate fidelity is a measure of how accurately a quantum computing system executes a logical operation called a gate, without introducing errors. Expressed as a percentage, a gate fidelity of 99.5 percent means the gate produces the correct output 99.5 percent of the time. The higher the fidelity, the more reliable the quantum computation.
Why It Matters
For quantum computing companies, gate fidelity is one of the primary technical metrics that determines whether a system is approaching commercial usefulness. Classical computers are effectively 100 percent reliable. For quantum computers to outperform classical computers on real problems, they need extremely high fidelity across many qubits simultaneously. Low gate fidelity means errors compound quickly and limit the complexity of problems the system can solve.
Where to Find It
In technical publications and quarterly disclosures from quantum computing companies. IBM publishes quarterly updates on its hardware metrics including gate fidelity. Google publishes benchmark results. For Rigetti, look for fidelity numbers in technical white papers and compare them directly to competitor benchmarks.
Real Example
Rigetti, the verification question. The $100 million government funding validates quantum computing as a category worth funding. Gate fidelity numbers in company disclosures are the only public third-party-verifiable evidence of whether Rigettiās specific approach is competitive with IBM and Google. A narrowing gap on published fidelity benchmarks is the support signal. A widening gap, or the absence of comparable disclosures, is the warning.