Computing Library › Quantum Logic Gates
Quantum Logic Gates
Pauli-Y Gate
The Pauli-Y gate combines a bit flip and a phase flip — a 180° rotation of the Bloch vector about the y-axis.
Matrix
Unitary matrix
0−ii0
Circuit symbol
Action on basis states
| input | output |
|---|---|
| |0⟩ | i|1⟩ |
| |1⟩ | −i|0⟩ |
How it works
Y = iXZ. It is Hermitian and unitary, a Pauli and a Clifford generator. On the Bloch sphere it is a π rotation about y, mapping the x-axis to −x and z to −z while leaving y fixed.
In code (Qiskit)
python
qc = QuantumCircuit(1)
qc.y(0)single-qubitPauliCliffordHermitian