Quantum Dot Cellular Automata: Computing with Coupled Quantum-Dot Molecules
Wolfgang Porod · APS Division of Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics Meeting Abstracts · 1998
Abstract We have recently proposed a scheme of using coupled quantum dots to realize digital computing elements.(C. S. Lent, P. D. Tougaw, W. Porod, and G. H. Bernstein, Nanotechnology 4, 49 (1993); C. S. Lent, P. D. Tougaw, and W. Porod, Applied Physics Letters 62, 714 (1993).) Our scheme was inspired by recent work on nanometer-scale lithography in semiconductors which has permitted the construction of quantum dots which may be viewed as artificial atoms; furthermore, the principle of dot-dot coupling has also been demonstrated, thus realizing artificial semiconductor molecules. This talk will review the work of the Notre Dame group on the theory and modeling of cellular arrays of coupled quantum-dot molecules, which we refer to as quantum-dot cellular automata (QCA). We consider inhomogeneous arrays of quantum-dot molecules, where each molecule forms the basic unit in a cellular automaton-type array architecture. These cells (molecules) consists of four or five quantum dots in close enough proximity to enable electron tunneling between dots. Coulomb repulsion between electrons in the cell results in a bistable ground state whose configuration is determined by the configuration of neighboring cells. The electrons tend to occupy antipodal sites in one of two ground-state configurations which may be used to encode binary information. We have demonstrated that Boolean logic gates can be constructed, and simple design rules permit the fabrication of any logic function. The basic principle of QCA operation was demonstrated in recent experiments.(