Tutorial T2: Reversible Logic: Fundamentals and Applications in Ultra-Low Power, Fault Testing and Emerging Nanotechnologies, and Challenges in Future

Abstract

Reversible logic is emerging as a promising computing paradigm with applications in ultralow power nanocomputing and emerging nanotechnologies such as quantum computing, quantum dot cellular automata (QCA), optical computing, etc. Reversible circuits are similar to conventional logic circuits except that they are built from reversible gates. In reversible gates, there is a unique, one-to-one mapping between the inputs and outputs, not the case with conventional logic. One of the primary motivations for adopting reversible logic lies in the fact that it can provide a logic design methodology for designing ultra-low power circuits beyond KTln2 limit for those emerging nanotechnologies in which the energy dissipated due to information destruction will be a significant factor of the overall heat dissipation. Further, logic circuits for quantum computers must be built from reversible logic components. Several important metrics need to be considered in the design of reversible circuits the importance of which needs to be discussed. Quantum computers of many qubits are extremely difficult to realize thus the number of qubits in the quantum circuits needs to be minimized. This sets the major objective of optimizing the number of ancilla inputs and the number of the garbage outputs in the reversible logic based quantum circuits. The constant input in the reversible quantum circuit is called the ancilla input, while the garbage output refers to the output which exists in the circuit just to maintain one-to-one mapping but is not a primary or a useful output. The reversible circuit has other important parameters of quantum cost and delay which need to be optimized.