Several authors have described the basic requirements essential to build a
scalable quantum computer. Because many physical implementation schemes for
quantum computing rely on nearest neighbor interactions, there is a hidden
quantum communication overhead to connect distant nodes of the computer. In
this paper we propose a physical solution to this problem which, together with
the key building blocks, provides a pathway to a scalable quantum architecture
using nonlocal interactions. Our solution involves the concept of a quantum bus
that acts as a refreshable entanglement resource to connect distant memory
nodes providing an architectural concept for quantum computers analogous to the
von Neumann architecture for classical computers.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, Slight modifications to satisfy referee, 2 new
references, modified acknowledgement. This draft to appear in PRA Rapid
Communication