Quantum circuits of CNOT gates

Abstract

We study in detail the algebraic structures underlying quantum circuits generated by CNOT gates. Our results allow us to propose polynomial-time heuristics to reduce the number of gates used in a given CNOT circuit and we also give algorithms to optimize this type of circuits in some particular cases. Finally we show how to create some usefull entangled states when a CNOT circuit acts on a fully factorized state.

40 pages, 19 figures