1997/12/23 by David Meyer, David A. Meyer
Computer Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Automaton #Boundary value problem #Cellular automaton #Classical mechanics #Computer science #Lattice (music) #Lattice gas automaton #Periodic boundary conditions #Physics #Quantum #Quantum Computing Algorithms and Architecture #Quantum and electron transport phenomena #Quantum mechanics #Quantum-Dot Cellular Automata #Statistical physics #Stochastic cellular automaton #Theoretical physics #Unitary state #Wave packet #quant-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1088/0305-4470/31/10/009
published as J.Phys.A31:2321-2340,1998 · 24 pages, plain TeX, 9 PostScript figures included with epsf.tex (ignore the under/overfull \vbox error messages), 3 additional large figures available upon request or from http://math.ucsd.edu/~dmeyer/papers/papers.html
arxiv created 1997/12/23 · openalex publication_date 1998/03/13 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/06
We continue our analysis of the physics of quantum lattice gas automata (QLGA). Previous work has been restricted to periodic or infinite lattices; simulation of more realistic physical situations requires finite sizes and nonperiodic boundary conditions. Furthermore, envisioning a QLGA as a nanoscale computer architecture motivates consideration of inhomogeneities in the `substrate'; this translates into inhomogeneities in the local evolution rules. Concentrating on the one-particle sector of the model, we determine the various boundary conditions and rule inhomogeneities which are consistent with unitary global evolution. We analyse the reflection of plane waves from boundaries, simulate wavepacket refraction across inhomogeneities, and conclude by discussing the extension of these results to multiple particles.