A random access memory, or RAM, is a device that, when interrogated, returns the content of a memory location in a memory array. A quantum RAM, or qRAM, allows one to access superpositions of memory sites, which may contain either quantum or classical information. RAMs and qRAMs with n-bit addresses can access 2(n) memory sites. Any design for a RAM or qRAM then requires O(2(n)) two-bit logic gates. At first sight this requirement might seem to make large scale quantum versions of such devices impractical, due to the difficulty of constructing and operating coherent devices with large numbers of quantum logic gates. Here we analyze two different RAM architectures (the conventional fanout and the 'bucket brigade') and propose some proof-of-principle implementations, which show that, in principle, only O(n) two-qubit physical interactions need take place during each qRAM call. That is, although a qRAM needs O(2(n)) quantum logic gates, only O(n) need to be activated during a memory call. The resulting decrease in resources could give rise to the construction of large qRAMs that could operate without the need for extensive quantum error correction.

Architectures for a quantum random access memory

Giovannetti V;
2008

Abstract

A random access memory, or RAM, is a device that, when interrogated, returns the content of a memory location in a memory array. A quantum RAM, or qRAM, allows one to access superpositions of memory sites, which may contain either quantum or classical information. RAMs and qRAMs with n-bit addresses can access 2(n) memory sites. Any design for a RAM or qRAM then requires O(2(n)) two-bit logic gates. At first sight this requirement might seem to make large scale quantum versions of such devices impractical, due to the difficulty of constructing and operating coherent devices with large numbers of quantum logic gates. Here we analyze two different RAM architectures (the conventional fanout and the 'bucket brigade') and propose some proof-of-principle implementations, which show that, in principle, only O(n) two-qubit physical interactions need take place during each qRAM call. That is, although a qRAM needs O(2(n)) quantum logic gates, only O(n) need to be activated during a memory call. The resulting decrease in resources could give rise to the construction of large qRAMs that could operate without the need for extensive quantum error correction.
2008
INFM
CIRCUIT
PHOTON
File in questo prodotto:
Non ci sono file associati a questo prodotto.

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14243/124882
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus ND
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? ND
social impact