Cryogenic Adiabatic Transistor Circuits for Quantum Computer Control

Abstract

Adiabatic and reversible computing have a previously unappreciated benefit that may make them important for quantum computing applications. While adiabatic and reversible methods did not catch on initially, they demonstrated ways to manage the location where waste energy is turned into heat. This work shows how to exploit this degree of freedom, explaining it with introduction of a new adiabatic logic family called Quiet 2-Level Adiabatic Logic (Q2LAL). In a hybrid room-temperature/cryogenic computing environment, such as a quantum computer, moving energy from the cryostat to room temperature before turning it into heat can save orders of magnitude in refrigeration energy and reduce electrical noise. The combination of the Q2LAL circuit and energy management strategy increases the range of applications suitable for adiabatic computing.