Quantum-Dot Cellular Automata (QCA) and Low Power Application

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Dipartimento di Ingegneria Meccanica, Energetica e Gestionale, Università della Calabria, 87036 Rende, Italy
Interests: digital electronics; QCA circuits; FPGA; embedded systems; deep learning
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As transistors have decreased in size, more and more of them have been accommodated in a single die, thus, increasing chip computational capabilities. However, traditional transistors cannot get much smaller than their current size, which causes a large impact on the speed performance and power consumption of future designs. The challenges created by this trend could be partially met by innovative technologies, proposed as alternatives to the classic CMOS. Among them, quantum-dot cellular automata (QCA) is one of the most promising solutions to design ultra low-power and very high speed digital circuits. QCA technology offers a revolutionary approach to computing at the nano-level. What sets it apart is that it exploits, rather than treating as nuisance properties, the inevitable nano-level issue of device to device interaction at nano-scales to perform computing. In this context, specialized designs have been finding increasing applicationw. This Special Issue of JLPEA is dedicated to advances in all aspects of QCA-based digital designs, from the introduction of new basic logic functions, up to innovative layout stategies, including advanced EDA tools and algorithms to support QCA designers. Original contributions from the following non-exhaustive list of topics are solicited:

  • specialized QCA-based logic structures and interconnections;
  • innovative clock schemes to control data flow directionality;
  • smart formulations of logic equations;
  • arithmetic circuits;
  • logic gates and digital circuits designs;
  • software development tools for the design and the characterization of QCA circuits.
Prof. Stefania Perri
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • QCA-based logic architectures
  • Clock schemes in QCA technologies
  • EDA tools for QCA
  • logic optimization for QCA circuits

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 4643 KiB  
Article
Physical Simulations of High Speed and Low Power NanoMagnet Logic Circuits
by Giovanna Turvani, Laura D’Alessandro and Marco Vacca
J. Low Power Electron. Appl. 2018, 8(4), 37; https://doi.org/10.3390/jlpea8040037 - 8 Oct 2018
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 6432
Abstract
Among all “beyond CMOS” solutions currently under investigation, nanomagnetic logic (NML) technology is considered to be one of the most promising. In this technology, nanoscale magnets are rectangularly shaped and are characterized by the intrinsic capability of enabling logic and memory functions in [...] Read more.
Among all “beyond CMOS” solutions currently under investigation, nanomagnetic logic (NML) technology is considered to be one of the most promising. In this technology, nanoscale magnets are rectangularly shaped and are characterized by the intrinsic capability of enabling logic and memory functions in the same device. The design of logic architectures is accomplished by the use of a clocking mechanism that is needed to properly propagate information. Previous works demonstrated that the magneto-elastic effect can be exploited to implement the clocking mechanism by altering the magnetization of magnets. With this paper, we present a novel clocking mechanism enabling the independent control of each single nanodevice exploiting the magneto-elastic effect and enabling high-speed NML circuits. We prove the effectiveness of this approach by performing several micromagnetic simulations. We characterized a chain of nanomagnets in different conditions (e.g., different distance among cells, different electrical fields, and different magnet geometries). This solution improves NML, the reliability of circuits, the fabrication process, and the operating frequency of circuits while keeping the energy consumption at an extremely low level. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantum-Dot Cellular Automata (QCA) and Low Power Application)
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13 pages, 1667 KiB  
Article
Clock Topologies for Molecular Quantum-Dot Cellular Automata
by Enrique Blair and Craig Lent
J. Low Power Electron. Appl. 2018, 8(3), 31; https://doi.org/10.3390/jlpea8030031 - 8 Sep 2018
Cited by 38 | Viewed by 8354
Abstract
Quantum-dot cellular automata (QCA) is a low-power, non-von-Neumann, general-purpose paradigm for classical computing using transistor-free logic. Here, classical bits are encoded on the charge configuration of individual computing primitives known as “cells.” A cell is a system of quantum dots with a few [...] Read more.
Quantum-dot cellular automata (QCA) is a low-power, non-von-Neumann, general-purpose paradigm for classical computing using transistor-free logic. Here, classical bits are encoded on the charge configuration of individual computing primitives known as “cells.” A cell is a system of quantum dots with a few mobile charges. Device switching occurs through quantum mechanical inter-dot charge tunneling, and devices are interconnected via the electrostatic field. QCA devices are implemented using arrays of QCA cells. A molecular implementation of QCA may support THz-scale clocking or better at room temperature. Molecular QCA may be clocked using an applied electric field, known as a clocking field. A time-varying clocking field may be established using an array of conductors. The clocking field determines the flow of data and calculations. Various arrangements of clocking conductors are laid out, and the resulting electric field is simulated. It is shown that that control of molecular QCA can enable feedback loops, memories, planar circuit crossings, and versatile circuit grids that support feedback and memory, as well as data flow in any of the ordinal grid directions. Logic, interconnect and memory now become indistinguishable, and the von Neumann bottleneck is avoided. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantum-Dot Cellular Automata (QCA) and Low Power Application)
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15 pages, 1021 KiB  
Article
Exponentially Adiabatic Switching in Quantum-Dot Cellular Automata
by Subhash S. Pidaparthi and Craig S. Lent
J. Low Power Electron. Appl. 2018, 8(3), 30; https://doi.org/10.3390/jlpea8030030 - 7 Sep 2018
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 7675
Abstract
We calculate the excess energy transferred into two-dot and three-dot quantum dot cellular automata systems during switching events. This is the energy that must eventually be dissipated as heat. The adiabaticity of a switching event is quantified using the adiabaticity parameter of Landau [...] Read more.
We calculate the excess energy transferred into two-dot and three-dot quantum dot cellular automata systems during switching events. This is the energy that must eventually be dissipated as heat. The adiabaticity of a switching event is quantified using the adiabaticity parameter of Landau and Zener. For the logically reversible operations of WRITE or ERASE WITH COPY, the excess energy transferred to the system decreases exponentially with increasing adiabaticity. For the logically irreversible operation of ERASE WITHOUT COPY, considerable energy is transferred and so must be dissipated, in accordance with the Landauer Principle. The exponential decrease in energy dissipation with adiabaticity (e.g., switching time) distinguishes adiabatic quantum switching from the usual linear improvement in classical systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantum-Dot Cellular Automata (QCA) and Low Power Application)
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19 pages, 3281 KiB  
Article
Effectiveness of Molecules for Quantum Cellular Automata as Computing Devices
by Yuri Ardesi, Azzurra Pulimeno, Mariagrazia Graziano, Fabrizio Riente and Gianluca Piccinini
J. Low Power Electron. Appl. 2018, 8(3), 24; https://doi.org/10.3390/jlpea8030024 - 28 Jul 2018
Cited by 27 | Viewed by 8031
Abstract
Notwithstanding the increasing interest in Molecular Quantum-Dot Cellular Automata (MQCA) as emerging devices for computation, a characterization of their behavior from an electronic standpoint is not well-stated. Devices are typically analyzed with quantum physics-based approaches which are far from the electronic engineering world [...] Read more.
Notwithstanding the increasing interest in Molecular Quantum-Dot Cellular Automata (MQCA) as emerging devices for computation, a characterization of their behavior from an electronic standpoint is not well-stated. Devices are typically analyzed with quantum physics-based approaches which are far from the electronic engineering world and make it difficult to design, simulate and fabricate molecular devices. In this work, we define new figures of merits to characterize the molecules, which are based on the post-processing of results obtained from ab initio simulations. We define the Aggregated Charge (AC), the electric-field generated at the receiver molecule (EFGR), the Vin–Vout and Vin–AC transcharacteristics (VVT and VACT), the Vout maps (VOM) and the MQCA cell working zones (CWZ). These quantities are compatible with an electronic engineering point of view and can be used to analyze the capability of molecules to propagate information. We apply and verify the methodology to three molecules already proposed in the literature for MQCA and we state to which extent these molecules can be effective for computation. The adopted methodology provides the quantitative characterization of the molecules necessary for digital designers, to design digital circuits, and for technologists, to the future fabrication of MQCA devices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Quantum-Dot Cellular Automata (QCA) and Low Power Application)
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