Prospects For Quantum Integrated Circuits

Recent progress in research on resonant tunneling diodes, and on lateral quantization effects in quantum wells renews hope for the development of active unipolar heterojunction devices which incorporate no depletion layers, and hence can be extremely compact in both vertical and lateral dimensions. If such devices meeting the fundamental requirements for ultrahigh density integrated circuits can be developed, and if revolutionary chip architectures which overcome current interconnection limitations can be devised, then a new generation of integrated circuits approaching the ultimate limits of functional density and functional throughput may eventually ensue. Although many of the most challenging problems in this scenario have not yet been addressed, progress is being made in the areas of fabrication and characterization of resonant tunneling devices, simulation of such devices using quantum transport theory, and simulation of nearest-neighbor connected (two-dimensional cellular automaton) architectures. This paper reviews the progress in these areas at Texas Instruments, and discusses the prospects for the future.

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