8,977 research outputs found
Compute-and-Forward: Harnessing Interference through Structured Codes
Interference is usually viewed as an obstacle to communication in wireless
networks. This paper proposes a new strategy, compute-and-forward, that
exploits interference to obtain significantly higher rates between users in a
network. The key idea is that relays should decode linear functions of
transmitted messages according to their observed channel coefficients rather
than ignoring the interference as noise. After decoding these linear equations,
the relays simply send them towards the destinations, which given enough
equations, can recover their desired messages. The underlying codes are based
on nested lattices whose algebraic structure ensures that integer combinations
of codewords can be decoded reliably. Encoders map messages from a finite field
to a lattice and decoders recover equations of lattice points which are then
mapped back to equations over the finite field. This scheme is applicable even
if the transmitters lack channel state information.Comment: IEEE Trans. Info Theory, to appear. 23 pages, 13 figure
Topological quantum memory
We analyze surface codes, the topological quantum error-correcting codes
introduced by Kitaev. In these codes, qubits are arranged in a two-dimensional
array on a surface of nontrivial topology, and encoded quantum operations are
associated with nontrivial homology cycles of the surface. We formulate
protocols for error recovery, and study the efficacy of these protocols. An
order-disorder phase transition occurs in this system at a nonzero critical
value of the error rate; if the error rate is below the critical value (the
accuracy threshold), encoded information can be protected arbitrarily well in
the limit of a large code block. This phase transition can be accurately
modeled by a three-dimensional Z_2 lattice gauge theory with quenched disorder.
We estimate the accuracy threshold, assuming that all quantum gates are local,
that qubits can be measured rapidly, and that polynomial-size classical
computations can be executed instantaneously. We also devise a robust recovery
procedure that does not require measurement or fast classical processing;
however for this procedure the quantum gates are local only if the qubits are
arranged in four or more spatial dimensions. We discuss procedures for
encoding, measurement, and performing fault-tolerant universal quantum
computation with surface codes, and argue that these codes provide a promising
framework for quantum computing architectures.Comment: 39 pages, 21 figures, REVTe
Gossip Algorithms for Distributed Signal Processing
Gossip algorithms are attractive for in-network processing in sensor networks
because they do not require any specialized routing, there is no bottleneck or
single point of failure, and they are robust to unreliable wireless network
conditions. Recently, there has been a surge of activity in the computer
science, control, signal processing, and information theory communities,
developing faster and more robust gossip algorithms and deriving theoretical
performance guarantees. This article presents an overview of recent work in the
area. We describe convergence rate results, which are related to the number of
transmitted messages and thus the amount of energy consumed in the network for
gossiping. We discuss issues related to gossiping over wireless links,
including the effects of quantization and noise, and we illustrate the use of
gossip algorithms for canonical signal processing tasks including distributed
estimation, source localization, and compression.Comment: Submitted to Proceedings of the IEEE, 29 page
Ability of stabilizer quantum error correction to protect itself from its own imperfection
The theory of stabilizer quantum error correction allows us to actively
stabilize quantum states and simulate ideal quantum operations in a noisy
environment. It is critical is to correctly diagnose noise from its syndrome
and nullify it accordingly. However, hardware that performs quantum error
correction itself is inevitably imperfect in practice. Here, we show that
stabilizer codes possess a built-in capability of correcting errors not only on
quantum information but also on faulty syndromes extracted by themselves.
Shor's syndrome extraction for fault-tolerant quantum computation is naturally
improved. This opens a path to realizing the potential of stabilizer quantum
error correction hidden within an innocent looking choice of generators and
stabilizer operators that have been deemed redundant.Comment: 9 pages, 3 tables, final accepted version for publication in Physical
Review A (v2: improved main theorem, slightly expanded each section,
reformatted for readability, v3: corrected an error and typos in the proof of
Theorem 2, v4: edited language
Limits on Fundamental Limits to Computation
An indispensable part of our lives, computing has also become essential to
industries and governments. Steady improvements in computer hardware have been
supported by periodic doubling of transistor densities in integrated circuits
over the last fifty years. Such Moore scaling now requires increasingly heroic
efforts, stimulating research in alternative hardware and stirring controversy.
To help evaluate emerging technologies and enrich our understanding of
integrated-circuit scaling, we review fundamental limits to computation: in
manufacturing, energy, physical space, design and verification effort, and
algorithms. To outline what is achievable in principle and in practice, we
recall how some limits were circumvented, compare loose and tight limits. We
also point out that engineering difficulties encountered by emerging
technologies may indicate yet-unknown limits.Comment: 15 pages, 4 figures, 1 tabl
Variability-aware architectures based on hardware redundancy for nanoscale reliable computation
During the last decades, human beings have experienced a significant enhancement in the quality of life thanks in large part to the fast evolution of Integrated Circuits (IC). This unprecedented technological race, along with its significant economic impact, has been grounded on the production of complex processing systems from highly reliable compounding devices. However, the fundamental assumption of nearly ideal devices, which has been true within the past CMOS technology generations, today seems to be coming to an end. In fact, as MOSFET technology scales into nanoscale regime it approaches to fundamental physical limits and starts experiencing higher levels of variability, performance degradation, and higher rates of manufacturing defects. On the other hand, ICs with increasing number of transistors require a decrease in the failure rate per device in order to maintain the overall chip reliability. As a result, it is becoming increasingly important today the development of circuit architectures capable of providing reliable computation while tolerating high levels of variability and defect rates.
The main objective of this thesis is to analyze and propose new fault-tolerant architectures based on redundancy for future technologies. Our research is founded on the principles of redundancy established by von Neumann in the 1950s and extends them to three new dimensions:
1. Heterogeneity: Most of the works on fault-tolerant architectures based on redundancy assume homogeneous variability in the replicas like von Neumann's original work. Instead, we explore the possibilities of redundancy when heterogeneity between replicas is taken into account. In this sense, we propose compensating mechanisms that select the weighting of the redundant information to maximize the overall reliability.
2. Asynchrony: Each of the replicas of a redundant system may have associated different processing delays due to variability and degradation; especially in future nanotechnologies. If we design our system to work locally in asynchronous mode then we may consider different voting policies to deal with the redundant information. Depending on how many replicas we collect before taking a decision we can obtain different trade-off between processing delay and reliability. We propose a mechanism for providing these facilities and analyze and simulate its operation.
3. Hierarchy: Finally, we explore the possibilities of redundancy applied at different hierarchy layers of complex processing systems. We propose to distribute redundancy across the various hierarchy layers and analyze the benefits that can be obtained.
Drawing on the scenario of future ICs technologies, we push the concept of redundancy to its fullest expression through the study of realistic nano-device architectures. Most of the redundant architectures considered so far do not face properly the era of Terascale Computing and the nanotechnology trends. Since von Neumann applied for the first time redundancy at electronic circuits, never until now effects as common in nanoelectronics as degradation and interconnection failures have been treated directly from the standpoint of redundancy. In this thesis we address in a comprehensive manner the reliability of digital processing systems in the upcoming technology generations
Theoretical and Phenomenological Constraints on Form Factors for Radiative and Semi-Leptonic B-Meson Decays
We study transition form factors for radiative and rare semi-leptonic B-meson
decays into light pseudoscalar or vector mesons, combining theoretical
constraints and phenomenological information from Lattice QCD, light-cone sum
rules, and dispersive bounds. We pay particular attention to form factor
parameterisations which are based on the so-called series expansion, and study
the related systematic uncertainties on a quantitative level. In this context,
we also provide the NLO corrections to the correlation function between two
flavour-changing tensor currents, which enters the unitarity constraints for
the coefficients in the series expansion.Comment: 52 pages; v2: normalization error in (29ff.) corrected, conclusion
about relevance of unitarity bounds modified; form factor fits unaffected;
references added; v3: discussion on truncation of series expansion added,
matches version to be published in JHEP; v4: corrected typos in Tables 5 and
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