A team research effort has been organized to implement a simple one-dimensional quantum computer using carbon nanotubes and Si nanowires as the substrate, and to in-vestigate issues of synthesis, nanofabrication, theoretical physics, and computer science surrounding this focused goal. The device on which the proposed effort will concentrate consists of a one-dimensional string of islands of charge-quantum dots-with coupling between the dots controlled by the application of gate voltages. The intrinsic magnetic moments ('spins') of the dots are used to form the quantum bits ('qubits') of a quantum computer. The strength of the scheme lies in its simplicity; in contrast to other proposed schemes, only changes to the coupling between neighboring quantum dots along the nanotube or nanowire are necessary. The research project is complemented by an educational program that brings to-gether students from several disciplines, encouraging them to develop intellectually and interact as part of a single collective effort. The educational goals of the Nanoscale Sci-ence and Engineering program will be explicitly advanced through the creation of courses and lab modules focused on nanoscience. A number of basic physics questions are raised by this project, relating to active spin manipulation in this simple 1D system and to the ways in which coupling beyond nearest neighbors can correct for problems of quantum decoherence and timing errors. If the device ultimately operates as intended, it will function as a general-purpose quantum computer, a goal towards which much current research is focused.
