Quantum-dot Cellular Automata (QCA) is a new paradigm for computation that utilizes polarization states instead of using current switching. It is being studied because of the realization of the quickly approaching limitation of the current CMOS technology. The location of two excess electrons located within four or five quantum dots on a particular cell can transmit the binary information. These dots are located in the corner of a square cell, and if there is a fifth dot it is located in the center. The electrons are allowed to tunnel freely among the dots, but are restricted from tunneling between neighboring cells. Because of the interaction between the electrons, they will anti-align within the cell giving one of two particular configurations. This configuration can be transmitted to neighboring cells. In other words, data is flowing.We present a numerical study of the fabrication defect's influence on Quantum-dot Cellular Automata (QCA) operation. The statistical model that has been introduced simulates the random distribution of positional defects of the dots within cells and of cells within arrays. Missing dots within a QCA cell structure have also been studied.We have studied specific non-clocked QCA devices using the Inter-cellular Hartree Approximation, for different temperatures. Parameters such as success rate and breakdown displacement factor were defined and calculated numerically. Results show the thermal dependence of the breakdown displacement factor of the QCA devices. It has been shown, that the breakdown displacement factor decreases with increasing temperature. As expected, multiple defects within the same QCA array have shown a reduction in success rate greater than that of a single defect influencing the system. / Department of Physics and Astronomy

To have a useful QCA device it is first necessary to study how to control data flow in a device, then study how temperature and manufacturing defects will affect the proper output of the device. Theoretically a "quantum wire" of perfectly aligned QCA cells at zero Kelvin temperature has been examined. However, QCA processors will not be operating at a temperature of zero Kelvin and inherently the manufacturing process will introduce defects into the system. Many different types of defects could occur at the device level and the individual cell level, both kinds of defects should be examined. Device defects include but are not limited to linear and/or rotational translation, and missing or extra cell(s). The internal cell defects would include an odd sized cell, and one or more miss-sized or dislocated quantum dot(s). These defects may have little effect on the operation of the QCA device, or could cause a complete failure. In addition, the thermal effect on the QCA devices may also cause a failure of the device or system. The defect and thermal operating limit of a QCA device must be determined.In the present investigation, the thermal and defect tolerance of clocked QCA devices will be studied. In order to study tolerance of QCA devices theoretical models will be developed. In particular, some existing computer simulation programs will be studied and expanded. / Department of Physics and Astronomy

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Melbourne, School of Anthropology,Geography and Environmental Studies, 2004. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references (leaves 213-233).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Northeastern University, 2008. / Title from title page (viewed May 27, 2009). Graduate School of Engineering, Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Includes bibliographical references (p. 234-256).

This thesis aims to better represent a framework for asynchrony. Traditional asynchronous models, particularly those used to simulate cellular automata, have used stochasticity or randomness to generate update times. We claimthat, while they may make good representations of their application, such asynchronousmethods rid themodel of the essence of interesting asynchronous processes. Thus, we attempt to better harness the aspects internal to the decision process of such discretely dynamic cells as those in cellular automata.We propose the maxmin-m model as a suitable model for the asynchronous computation of cellular automata. The model uses maxmin-plus algebra, a special case of which is max-plus algebra. This algebra arises naturally from the cellular automaton requirement that a cell receives the state of its neighbours before updating. The maxmin-m model allows each cell to update after it receives m out of a possible n neighbours' states.The max-plus model shows that, while update times may be asynchronous in real time, there is no loss of information, since the corresponding asynchronous process is bijectively related to the synchronous model. In turn, the cellular automaton output, measured by the Shannon and word entropies, is shown to vary little from the synchronous model. Moreover, this type of asynchrony is simple, i.e. it is deterministically obtained due to the linearity of max-plus algebra.Indeed, the maxmin-m model is also shown to be deterministic and always reaches periodic behaviour. In the long time limit, this model is shown to be represented by a max-plus model, supporting its determinism further. Consequently, the complexity of such a model may be thought to be limited. However, we show through large scale experiments that the case where m is approximately n/2 generates most complex behaviour in terms of large periods and transients to the aforementioned periodic orbits. In particular, the complexity is empirically shown to obey a bell form as a function of m (where m ranges from 1 to n). The resulting cellular automaton simulations indicate a correspondence from the complexity of the update times. Therefore, cellular automaton behaviour may be predictable with the type of asynchrony employed in this thesis.

We extend earlier cellular automata models of spatially extended hypercycles by including an explicit genetic component into the model. This allows us to study the sequence evolution of hypercyclically coupled molecular replicators in addition to considering their population dynamics and spatial organization. In line with previous models, that considered either spatial organization or sequence evolution alone, we find both temporal oscillations of the relative concentration of the species forming the hypercycles as well as the formation of spatial organisations including spiral waves. We also confirm the greatly increased robustness of the spatially extended hypercycle against various classes of parasites. We find the sequence evolution of each of the hypercyclically coupled populations proceeds (after an inital selection-dominated phase) in a drift-like manner that can be described by a diffusion process in sequence space. Kimura's theory of neutral evolution is therefore applicable on long time-scales despite the fact that the hypercycle exhibits extreme periodic changes in population sizes and that are governed solely by frequency-dependent selection.

This thesis seeks to experiment with the culmination of social, natural and built paradigms of sustainability using digital generation as an architectural process. Specifically, this thesis will explore cellular automaton and modular design approaches in the context of multifamily housing, asking if we can quantify the qualities of equitable housing and guide digital algorithms to generate efficient, flexible, human centered designs. Cellular automaton is a term used to describe a phenomenon in which the growth of one cell in a plant or animal is entirely dependent upon the already existing adjacent cell. Digital cellular automaton is a mathematical, rule based tool used to generate patterns or to map complex systems; similarly, the generation of new cells is entirely dependent on the environment it is being born into. The aim of this work is to translate human centered parameters and local architectural guidelines into an algorithm with rules which can be easily manipulated to produce comparable digitally generated forms. The parameters will be based on an architectural program consisting of a multi-unit mixed income residential building located in, and designed for the residents of, Northampton, Massachusetts. Northampton is an exemplary small-scale city; a historic New England town with housing problems reminiscent of a larger urban area. The selected site allows for investigations of density, growth, adaptation and modular design in a way that could be applied to not only similarly sized cities, but regions of varying density based on their own local parameters. For a relevant output, the parameters and data put into the algorithm must be humanized, individualized, or in the case of this work, curated to reflect and serve a specific community. Cellular automaton allows for varied pattern generation and for the exploration of repeating modules as well as allow for future adaptations to evolving housing needs and sustainability targets. The goal is to create a supportive system of habitat that allows for growth potential and flexibility without sacrificing quality of life for the inhabitants.

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