---
title: MatrixExponential (v0.46)
description: API reference for qiskit.synthesis.MatrixExponential in qiskit v0.46
source: https://eu-de.quantum.cloud.ibm.com/docs/en/api/qiskit/0.46/qiskit.synthesis.MatrixExponential
---

# MatrixExponential

*class* `qiskit.synthesis.MatrixExponential`

[GitHub](https://github.com/qiskit/qiskit/tree/stable/0.46/qiskit/synthesis/evolution/matrix_synthesis.py)

Bases: [`EvolutionSynthesis`](/docs/api/qiskit/0.46/qiskit.synthesis.EvolutionSynthesis "qiskit.synthesis.evolution.evolution_synthesis.EvolutionSynthesis")

Exact operator evolution via matrix exponentiation and unitary synthesis.

This class synthesis the exponential of operators by calculating their exponentially-sized matrix representation and using exact matrix exponentiation followed by unitary synthesis to obtain a circuit. This process is not scalable and serves as comparison or benchmark for small systems.

## Attributes

### settings

Return the settings in a dictionary, which can be used to reconstruct the object.

**Returns**

A dictionary containing the settings of this product formula.

**Raises**

[**NotImplementedError**](https://docs.python.org/3/library/exceptions.html#NotImplementedError) – The interface does not implement this method.

## Methods

### synthesize

`synthesize(evolution)`

Synthesize an `qiskit.circuit.library.PauliEvolutionGate`.

**Parameters**

**evolution** ([*PauliEvolutionGate*](/docs/api/qiskit/0.46/qiskit.circuit.library.PauliEvolutionGate "qiskit.circuit.library.PauliEvolutionGate")) – The evolution gate to synthesize.

**Returns**

A circuit implementing the evolution.

**Return type**

[QuantumCircuit](/docs/api/qiskit/0.46/qiskit.circuit.QuantumCircuit "qiskit.circuit.QuantumCircuit")