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This is a general guide covering what the native gates are and why you might want to use them. To learn how to use these native gates, refer to our native gate guides for the IonQ API, Qiskit, Cirq, and PennyLane.
The IonQ Quantum Cloud has one of the best—maybe the best—optimizing compilers in quantum computing. This allows users to focus on the details of their algorithms instead of the details of our quantum system. You can submit quantum circuits using a large, diverse set of quantum gates that allows for maximum flexibility in how to define your problem, and our compilation and optimization stack ensures that your circuit runs on our QPUs in the most compact, streamlined, hardware-optimized form possible. This flexibility in circuit definition also allows for high portability of algorithm code. We don’t restrict you to hardware-native basis gates, so you’re free to define your circuit in standard QIS gates (including controlled and multi-controlled variants of these) and then simply submit to IonQ hardware as-is. No changes necessary! While this is ideal for many applications, the hardware-native basis gateset allows for more customizability, flexibility, and what-you-submit-is-what-you-get control. Being as “close to the metal” as possible allows for control over each individual gate and qubit, unlocking avenues of exploration that are impossible with a compiler between you and the qubits. Currently, submitting circuits defined in native gates is the only way to bypass the compiler and optimizer. Read on to get started with our hardware-native gate specification, learn how it works, and how to run an example circuit using this powerful new ability.
This is an advanced-level feature. Using the hardware-native gate interface without a thorough understanding of quantum circuits is likely to result in less-optimal circuit structure and worse algorithmic performance overall than using our abstract gate interface.

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When to use native gates

Native gates are not the right solution for every problem. As the warning above states, the native gate specification is an advanced-level feature. If your goal is simply to run a quantum circuit for evaluation or algorithm investigation purposes, using native gates will often result in lower-quality output than simply using the abstract gate interface. The native gate interface is the simplest, most direct way to run a circuit on IonQ hardware: we run exactly the gates you submitted, as submitted, and we return the results. That’s it.