Computer-aided-design methods for emerging quantum computing technologies

Emerging quantum computing technologies are poised to replace standard CMOS logic when the exponential size reduction reaches sub-atomic dimensions. Quantum circuits are reversible and therefore promise the potential of computation without energy loss. This research considers computer aided design (CAD) methods for all major aspects of quantum computing circuit design including logic synthesis, simulation, verification, and testing.;The technologies we investigate include quantum cell automata (QCA) and general quantum circuits (QC), with significantly more emphasis on the later. The recently introduced quantum multi-valued decision diagram (QMDD) provides an efficient method to represent and simulate quantum (and other classical reversible) circuits. A major contribution of this dissertation is the development of a sift-like minimization as well as structure metrics based minimization techniques for QMDD. We have used the enhanced QMDD to efficiently simulate quantum circuits as well as quantum vectors.;Our early investigation of reversible logic is concerned with a virtual implementation that uses a direct translation of relatively complex binary functions into circuits composed of Fredkin reversible gates. This allowed us to project size and speed complexity of complex reversible circuits, although this direct translation approach fails to minimize garbage inputs and outputs. To achieve proper garbage minimization, one must synthesize reversible logic using gate cascades with appropriate optimization methods embedded that attempt to minimize the total number of lines in the circuit. To that end, we developed a novel QMDD-based tool for cascade logic synthesis that utilizes the QMDD minimized variable order for lexicographical synthesis with garbage minimization included as an optimization criterion.;We developed a synthesis tool that investigates the QCA native 3-input majority gates ability to implement complex logic circuits. In particular, we explore the benefit of transforming the logic description into exclusive sum of products (ESOP) forms prior to implementation in the majority gates.;We survey recent efforts in establishing the foundation for QC testing and fault tolerant QC. We project the potential use of random tests as well as built in self test (BIST) techniques for future QC. A major contribution of this dissertation is the investigation of partially redundant reversible logic. Detection of partially redundant logic within any design, reversible or irreversible, has ramifications for logic synthesis, for design verification, and for design for test (DFT) issues.