Superconducting current control system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11545288-B2
Application number	US-202016849595-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 15, 2020
Priority date	Apr 15, 2020
Publication date	Jan 3, 2023
Grant date	Jan 3, 2023

Abstract

One example includes a superconducting current control system. The system includes an inductive coupler comprising a load inductor and a control inductor. The inductive coupler can be configured to inductively provide a control current from the control inductor to a superconducting circuit device based on a load current being provided through the load inductor. The system also includes a current control element comprising a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) array comprising a plurality of SQUIDs. The current control element can be coupled to the inductive coupler to control an amplitude of the load current through the load inductor, and thus to control an amplitude of the control current to the superconducting circuit device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A superconducting current control system comprising:
an inductive coupler comprising a load inductor and a control inductor, the inductive coupler being configured to inductively provide a control current from the control inductor to a superconducting circuit device based on a first portion of an input current that is received at an input of the superconducting current control system as a load current being provided through the load inductor; and
a current control element arranged in parallel with the load inductor and comprising a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) array comprising a plurality of SQUIDs, the current control element being configured as a tunable inductive path for a second portion of the input current to control an amplitude of the first portion of the input current as the load current through the load inductor, and thus to control an amplitude of the control current to the superconducting circuit device.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of SQUIDs are arranged as a plurality of radio frequency (RF) SQUIDs arranged in an array between a first terminal of the SQUID array and a second terminal of the SQUID array, wherein at least one of the first and second terminals is conductively coupled to the inductive coupler.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the array of RF SQUIDs is arranged as a first array of RF SQUIDs and a second array of RF SQUIDs arranged in parallel between the first and second terminals of the SQUID array.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of SQUIDs comprises a Josephson junction and an inductor opposite the Josephson junction, wherein the SQUIDs are arranged in an alternating pattern with respect to the respective Josephson junction and the respective inductor.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the inductor associated with each of the SQUIDs is a first inductor, each of the SQUIDs comprising a second inductor, the second inductor interconnecting the respective one of the SQUIDs and a previous one of the SQUIDs in the array to provide flux to the respective one of the SQUIDs and the previous one of the SQUIDs in response to an input current, the load current being a portion of the input current.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the current control element is configured to receive a bias current to control the amplitude of the load current through the load inductor based on an amplitude of the bias current.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the current control element comprises a transformer configured to receive the bias current to induce a flux in each of the SQUIDs of the SQUID array.

8. A method for controlling an amplitude of a control current provided to a superconducting circuit device, the method comprising:
coupling the superconducting circuit device to a current control element via an inductive coupler, the inductive coupler comprising a load inductor and a control inductor, the current control element being arranged in parallel with the load inductor and comprising a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) array comprising a plurality of radio frequency (RF) SQUIDs;
providing a first portion of an input current to the current control element and a second portion of the input current as a load current to the load inductor to inductively provide the control current from the control inductor; and
providing a bias current to the current control element to provide a tunable inductive path for the first portion of the input current to control an amplitude of the second portion of the input current as the load current through the load inductor based on an amplitude of the bias current.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein each of the plurality of SQUIDs comprises a Josephson junction, a first inductor arranged opposite the Josephson junction, and a second inductor, wherein the RF SQUIDs are arranged in an alternating pattern with respect to the respective Josephson junction and the respective first inductor, and wherein the second inductor interconnects the respective one of the RF SQUIDs and a previous one of the RF SQUIDs in the array to provide flux to the respective one of the RF SQUIDs and the previous one of the RF SQUIDs in response to the input currents.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the inductive coupler is coupled to the current control element via at least one of a first terminal and a second terminal associated with the current control element, wherein the SQUID array is arranged as a first array of RF SQUIDs and a second array of RF SQUIDs arranged in parallel between a first terminal and a second terminal of the SQUID array.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein providing the bias current comprises providing the bias current to a transformer associated with the current control element to induce a flux in each of the RF SQUIDs of the SQUID array to control the amplitude of the load current.

12. A superconducting current control system comprising:
an inductive coupler comprising a load inductor and a control inductor, the inductive coupler being configured to inductively provide a control current from the control inductor to a superconducting circuit device based on a load current being provided through the load inductor as a first portion of an input current that is received at an input of the superconducting current control system;
a current control element arranged in series with the load inductor and comprising a first superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) array and a second SQUID array arranged in parallel between a first terminal and a second terminal, each of the first and second SQUID array comprising a plurality of RF SQUIDs; and
a shunt inductor in parallel with the series arrangement of the current control element and the load inductor to conduct a second portion of the input current, the current control element being configured as a tunable inductive path for the first portion of the input current via at least one of the first and second terminals to control an amplitude of the first portion of the input current as the load current through the load inductor based on an amplitude of a bias current provided to the current control element, the control current having an amplitude that is based on the amplitude of the load current.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein each of the plurality of SQUIDs comprises a Josephson junction, a first inductor arranged opposite the Josephson junction, and a second inductor, wherein the RF SQUIDs are arranged in an alternating pattern with respect to the respective Josephson junction and the respective first inductor, and wherein the second inductor interconnects the respective one of the RF SQUIDs and a previous one of the RF SQUIDs in the array to provide flux to the respective one of the RF SQUIDs and the previous one of the RF SQUIDs in response to the input currents.

Assignees

• Strand Joel D
• Northrop Grumman Systems Corp

Inventors

• Strand Joel D

Classifications

• G01R33/0094

  Sensor arrays · CPC title

• H01F6/008 Primary

  Electric circuit arrangements for energising superconductive electromagnets · CPC title

• G01R33/0354 Primary

  SQUIDS · CPC title

• G01R33/0358

  coupling the flux to the SQUID (gradiometer coils G01R33/022; coils with superconductive winding H01F6/06) · CPC title

• Y02E40/60

  Superconducting electric elements or equipment; Power systems integrating superconducting elements or equipment · CPC title