Optimal local implementation of nonlocal quantum gates

We investigate the minimal resources that are required in the local implementation of nonlocal quantum gates in a distributed quantum computer. Both classical communication requirements and entanglement consumption are investigated. We present general statements on the minimal resource requirements and present optimal procedures for a number of important gates, including controlled-NOT (CNOT) and Toffoli gates. We show that one bit of classical communication in each direction is both necessary and sufficient for the nonlocal implementation of the quantum CNOT, while in general two bits in each direction is required for the implementation of a general two-bit quantum gate. In particular, the state swapper requires this maximum classical communication overhead. Extensions of these ideas to multiparty gates are presented.