Elements of Quantum Electronics
Michael Olorunfunmi Kolawole · Electronics · 2020
As noted in Chapter 8 of this book, electronic states of nanostructures are determined by quantum mechanics. Quantum mechanics is a fundamental theory in physics that describes the underlying theory concerning the world around us, from atoms, electrons, and molecules to materials, lasers, and other functioning circuits. The consequences of the quantization of energy states and their interaction with electromagnetic radiation and matter, and on the effects of quantum mechanics on the behavior of electrons lead to the field of quantum electronics . In this chapter, the following topics are explained: (a) an overview of the physics governing quantum mechanics; (b) the fundamental quantum electronics principles leading to the development of lasers, masers, and reversible quantum gates and circuits; (c) basic quantum gates developed based on quantum cells; (d) fabrication methods including self-assembly—as occurs for quantum dots (e.g. quantum -dot cellular automata ) and tunneling—as occurs for superconducting circuit techniques (e.g. Josephson tunnel junction); and (e) the protocols required to ensure uninfected information transmit through quantum communication channel and quantum error-correction techniques to clean up erroneous pairs and/or errors (or decoherence) in the quantum channel.