Computing with spins: From classical to quantum computing

This article traces a brief history of the use of single electron spins to compute. In classical computing schemes, a binary bit is represented by the spin polarization of a single electron confined in a quantum dot. If a weak magnetic field is present, the spin orientation becomes a binary variable which can encode logic 0 and logic 1. Coherent superposition of these two polarizations represent a qubit. By engineering the exchange interaction between closely spaced spins in neighboring quantum dots, it is possible to implement either classical or quantum logic gates.