Self-Routing Quantum Sparse Crossbar Packet Concentrators

Quantum switching networks are derived from conventional switching networks by replacing the classical switches by quantum switches. We give the quantum circuit design and routing of an n × m network, called a quantum concentrator that can direct quantum bit packets in arbitrary quantum states from any of its k inputs to some of its k outputs, where 1 ≤ k ≤ m ≤ n. Our designs are based on sparse crossbars which are rectangular grids of 2 × 2 crosspoints. Sparse crossbar concentrator structures with theoretically minimum crosspoint complexities for any values of n and m are well known but no self-routing algorithms have been reported for such concentrators. We transform two such families of optimal concentrators, called fat-slim and banded sparse crossbars into quantum networks and provide self-routing algorithms for these families of concentrators. In this process, we extend the notion of packet concentration to a quantum network and design self-routing quantum crosspoints from quantum gates. We address issues critical to quantum operation like reversibility and localized self-routing and give a rigorous proof that quantum fat-slim and banded sparse crossbar concentrators are self-routable. The self-routing algorithms described in the paper can be used for both quantum and classical sparse crossbar concentrators by the linearity property of all quantum systems.