Superconducting DC switch system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11757446-B2
Application number	US-202117375199-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 14, 2021
Priority date	Jul 14, 2021
Publication date	Sep 12, 2023
Grant date	Sep 12, 2023

Abstract

A superconducting DC switch system is provided. The superconducting DC switch system comprises one or more Josephson junctions (JJs), and a magnetic field generator that is configured to switch from inducing a magnetic field in a plane of the one or more JJs, and providing no magnetic field in the plane of the one or more JJs. A DC input signal applied at an input of the one or more JJs is passed through to an output the one or more JJs in the absence of an induced magnetic field, and the DC input signal is substantially suppressed at the output of the one or more JJs in the presence of the magnetic field.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A superconducting DC switch system comprising:
a plurality of Josephson junctions (JJs) configured as a first set of parallel JJs and a second set of parallel JJs, each JJ of the first set of parallel JJs being coupled in series with a respective JJ of the second set of parallel JJs; and
a magnetic field generator that is configured to switch from inducing a magnetic field in a plane of the JJs, and providing no magnetic field in the plane of the JJs, wherein a DC input signal applied at an input of the JJs is passed through to an output of the JJs in the absence of an induced magnetic field at a maximum combined DC current based on a combination of critical currents of either the first set of parallel JJs or the second set of parallel JJs, and the DC input signal is substantially suppressed at the output of the JJs in the presence of the magnetic field based on an off-state resistance corresponding to the number of parallel sets of JJs.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the JJs have a zero DC resistance in the absence of an induced magnetic field, and have a finite resistance in the presence of the induced magnetic field.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the induced magnetic field is selected to suppress the critical current of the JJs to substantially zero.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the JJs are in parallel with respective resistors.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the JJs comprises a first JJ having a first select line and a second JJ having a second select line, wherein applying a bias signal to the first select line will provide the DC input signal to an output of the second JJ and applying a bias signal to the second select line will provide the DC input signal to the output of the first JJ.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic field generator is a solenoid with a loop winding that surrounds the JJs.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic field generator is a bias line that can be configured in such a way as to induce a magnetic field through the JJs when a current bias is applied.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a switch controller configured to control the switching of the magnetic field generator between an on state and an off state.

9. A superconducting DC switch system comprising:
a switch network comprising a plurality of Josephson junction (JJ) switches configured as a first set of parallel JJ switches and a second set of parallel JJ switches, each JJ of the first set of parallel JJ switches being coupled in series with a respective JJ of the second set of parallel JJ switches;
a magnetic field generator that is configured to switch from inducing a magnetic field in a plane of the JJ switches, and providing no magnetic field in the plane of the JJ switches, wherein a DC input signal applied at an input of the JJ switches is passed through to an output of the JJ switches in the absence of an induced magnetic field at a maximum combined DC current based on a combination of critical currents of either the first set of parallel JJ switches or the second set of parallel JJ switches, and the DC input signal is substantially suppressed at the output of the JJ switches in the presence of the magnetic field based on an off-state resistance corresponding to the number of parallel sets of JJ switches; and
a switch controller configured to control the switching of the magnetic field generator between an on state and an off state.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein each of the JJ switches have a zero DC resistance in the absence of an induced magnetic field, and have a finite resistance in the presence of the induced magnetic field.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein each of the JJ switches comprises a single JJ.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the induced magnetic field is selected to substantially suppress the critical current of the single JJ in one or more of the JJ switches to substantially zero.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein each of the JJ switches are in parallel with respective resistors.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the JJ switches comprises a first JJ switch having a first select line and a second JJ switch having a second select line, wherein applying a bias signal to the first select line will provide the DC input signal to an output of the second JJ switch and applying a bias signal to the second select line will provide the DC input signal to the output of the first JJ switch.

15. The system of claim 9 , wherein the magnetic field generator is a solenoid with a loop winding that surrounds the JJ switches.

16. The system of claim 9 , wherein the magnetic field generator is a bias line that can be configured in such a way as to induce a magnetic field through the JJ switches when a current bias is applied.

Assignees

• Graninger Aurelius L
• Northrop Grumman Systems Corp

Inventors

• Graninger Aurelius L

Classifications

• H03K17/92 Primary

  by the use, as active elements, of superconductive devices · CPC title

• H03K17/10

  Modifications for increasing the maximum permissible switched voltage · CPC title

• H03K17/12

  Modifications for increasing the maximum permissible switched current · CPC title

• H03K17/005

  with several inputs only · CPC title

• H10N60/12

  Josephson-effect devices · CPC title