Abstract— The rapid advancement of microelectronics technology necessitates the development of high-speed, low-power devices. Quantum Cellular Automaton (QCA) is emerging as a promising technology enabling logic circuits with exceptional operating speeds. The XOR gate is crucial in nanocomputing applications, such as nano-processors and nano-communication units, and requires innovative design approaches. This paper presents a novel design of an XOR gate using a multilayered layout methodology within the QCA framework. The circuit’s design and validation are performed using QCADesigner 2.0.3, while energy dissipation analysis is conducted with QCADesigner-E, resulting in an energy dissipation of 15 meV. Comprehensive parameter analysis, including cost functions, highlights the superiority of the proposed design. A comparative analysis with similar existing multilayered designs shows a 55% improvement in QCA-specific quantum cost. Notably, the proposed design eliminates the need for internal nodes within the layout, enhancing the methodology’s applicability to higher-order and more complex circuits.
Keywords: Crossovers; Multilayered designs; Quantum dot cellular automata; XOR gate; QCADesigner-E; QCADesigner 2.0.3.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5455/jjee.204-1716825685