A spin qubit uses one of the most fundamental properties in physics – the intrinsic angular momentum, or “spin,” of an electron – to represent quantum information. When an electron is trapped inside a tiny region called a quantum dot, its spin can point either up or down, forming the two states needed for a qubit. By applying an external magnetic field, quantum engineers can separate these two states, and using precisely timed microwave pulses, they can rotate the spin to perform quantum operations.
What makes spin qubits compelling for scalable quantum computing is their natural compatibility with silicon semiconductor manufacturing. Because quantum dots can be formed using structures similar to conventional transistors, spin qubits can be fabricated in commercial foundries alongside standard CMOS electronics. This is the approach Quantum Motion uses to build its quantum processors, leveraging the trillion-dollar semiconductor ecosystem to manufacture qubits at scale on industry-standard silicon wafers.
Spin qubits also benefit from long coherence times in silicon, meaning they retain their quantum information long enough for meaningful computation. Combined with their exceptionally small footprint, spin qubits offer a credible path toward the millions of qubits needed for fault-tolerant quantum computing.
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