CAREER: Improving the Performance of Quantum-dot Cellular Automata

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Quantum-dot cellular automata (QCA) are a method of computing via quantum effects. QCA are arrays of quantum-dot cells with each cell containing a regular arrangement of quantum dots and a limited number of electrons. The electrons are allowed to tunnel between dots. The particular arrangement of cells reflects the computational problem, while the lowest energy distribution of electrons reflects the computational result. QCA have garnered much attention because they seem to be physically realizable with slight improvements in current fabrication techniques. Advantages include faster computation, denser circuits, and extremely low power consumption.In a QCA circuit composed of primitive QCA logic devices, the state of downstream devices can adversely affect the state of upstream devices. A partial solution stems from redesigning the primitive elements. One aspect of this work is to quantify the cost of redesigned elements, to devise more cost-effective solutions, and to determine the risks of using uncorrected devices. The second aspect involves designing QCA for higher operational temperatures via architectural changes. The third aspect concerns investigation of QCA-like devices with smoother energy spaces for eliminating meta-stable states.The education plan includes the development of a new CS/EE graduate course, entitled New Architectures for Computing. The course will feature theory and practice concerning QCA, pure quantum computing, DNA computing, and other novel architectures. The theory portion will include modules stemming from portions of the research plan. Students will chose a topic, perform a small but significant amount of original research, and submit a paper to an appropriate venue.