Reconfigurable quantum logic gates using Rashba controlled spin polarized currents

Abstract

A reconfigurable logic gate is proposed in a two-dimensional double quantum wire system with a coupling window enabled by a Rashba field. Manipulating the spin states of incoming electrons several quantum logic gates (OR, AND, XOR, CNOT) can be implemented. The logic gate functionality can be switched by tuning the Rashba parameter only. In this context, we investigate suitable configurations of the device region by embedding a quantum point contact located in the coupling region to obtain all four logic gates. The ballistic spin polarized transmission functions are calculated using an effective mass scattering formalism in the framework of a multi-channel, multi-terminal system. Owing its versatility, the proposed logic gate can be integrated in programmable architectures, able to implement both classical and quantum algorithms.