Time-domain simulation of quantum spin

Abstract

There have been many recent advances in the fields of spintronics and quantum computing. However, because these fields are grounded in quantum mechanics, there is an increasing need for simulation methods to handle the more complicated interactions. To date, only model calculations have been carried out in the time domain. There is a need for more realistic time-domain simulation of the spatial and spin dynamics. In this article, the explicit implementation of spin into a formulation of the finite-difference time-domain method in the unrestricted Hartree–Fock approximation is presented. Examples are given to show the ability of the method to model basic spin phenomena, such as spin flip and precession. Some suggestions are also presented for the implementation of quantum-based logic gates.