The team constructed a two qubit gate that controls interactions between the electrons in a way that allows them to act as the qubits necessary for quantum computing. The demonstration of the gate is being seen as an early step in building a more complex quantum computing device from silicon.
The gate was constructed by layering aluminium wires onto a highly ordered silicon crystal. The wires deliver voltages that trap two single electrons, separated by an energy barrier, in a double quantum dot.
By temporarily lowering the energy barrier, electrons can entangle and can be used as qubits
