Empowering the Design of Reversible and Quantum Logic with Decision Diagrams

Abstract

AbstractReversible computation has received significant attention in recent years as an alternative computation paradigm which can be beneficial e.g. for encoder circuits, low power design, adiabatic circuits, verification—just to name a few examples. Aside from those applications in the design of (conventional) integrated circuits, reversible logic components are also a key ingredient in many quantum algorithms, i.e. in the field of quantum computing which by itself emerged as a very promising computing paradigm that, particularly these days, gains more and more relevance. All that led to a steadily increasing demand for methods that allow for an efficient and correct design of corresponding circuits. Decision diagrams play an important role in the design of conventional circuitry. In the recent years, also their benefits for the design of the newly emerging reversible and quantum logic circuits become evident. In this overview paper, we review and illustrate previous and ongoing work on decision diagrams for such circuits and sketch corresponding design methods relying on them. By this, we demonstrate how broadly decision diagrams can be employed in this area and how they empower the design flow for these emerging technologies.