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Higher-radix Quantum Photonic Informatics and Implementation Issues in Integrated Circuits
Mitchell A. Thornton and Duncan L. MacFarlane
Advances in fabrication methods and components are enabling practical implementations of Quantum Photonic Integrated Circuits (QPIC) analogous to the 1970’s era for electronic integrated circuits (IC). As was the case more than 50 years ago in electronics, designers are faced with a choice regarding the physical quantities to use for encoding discrete information in a QPIC. Among the alternatives, models for information representation include binary and higher-radix, approaches. In the spirit of seminal writings from Professor K.C. Smith regarding the choice of radices for electronic switching circuits, we survey higher-dimensioned QPIC implementations. We address various means for photonic representation of information and the tradeoffs that result in view of the current state of the art in available QPIC components and manufacturing capabilities. These alternatives are intended to inform the multiple-valued logic community of QPIC design choices and to draw an analogy to Professor Smith’s earlier work in higher-radix electronic IC.
Keywords: Higher-radix, MVL, quantum photonics, QPIC