Superconducting logic components

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12009819-B2
Application number	US-202117222657-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 5, 2021
Priority date	Feb 14, 2018
Publication date	Jun 11, 2024
Grant date	Jun 11, 2024

Abstract

The various embodiments described herein include methods, devices, and systems for operating superconducting circuitry. In one aspect, a superconducting component includes: (1) a superconductor having a plurality of alternating narrow and wide portions, each wide portion having a corresponding terminal; and (2) a plurality of heat sources, each heat source thermally coupled to a corresponding narrow portion such that heat from the heat source is transmitted to the corresponding narrow portion; where the plurality of heat sources is electrically isolated from the superconductor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A circuit component, comprising:
a first circuit, including:
a superconductor having a plurality of alternating narrow and wide portions, including a plurality of narrow portions each having a first width and opposing ends connected to respective wide portions, and a plurality of wide portions each having a second width greater than the first width, two or more of the wide portions each having a corresponding terminal; and
a plurality of heat sources, each heat source thermally coupled to a corresponding narrow portion such that heat from the heat source is transmitted to the corresponding narrow portion; and

an output component coupled to the first circuit, the output component configured to determine a number of the plurality of narrow portions of the superconductor in a non-superconducting state.

2. The circuit component of claim 1 , wherein a first heat source of the plurality of heat sources comprises a photon detector.

3. The circuit component of claim 1 , wherein the circuit component is configured to operate as a photon counter.

4. The circuit component of claim 1 , wherein the superconductor comprises a thin film of superconducting material.

5. The circuit component of claim 1 , wherein the circuit component is configured such that, in response to the transmitted heat, a corresponding narrow portion transitions from a superconducting state to a non-superconducting state.

6. The circuit component of claim 5 , wherein wide portions connected to the corresponding narrow portion are configured to remain in a superconducting state while the corresponding narrow portion transitions from the superconducting state to the non-superconducting state.

7. The circuit component of claim 5 , where the wide portions are configured to thermally isolate the narrow portions from one another so that heat coupled to a respective narrow portion by a corresponding heat source is not sufficient to cause a neighboring narrow portion to transition from a superconducting state to a non-superconducting state.

8. The circuit component of claim 1 , wherein each heat source comprises a superconductor.

9. The circuit component of claim 1 , wherein at least one terminal is coupled to a current source configured to supply a current such that a respective narrow portion of the superconductor is in a superconducting state prior to a corresponding heat source of the plurality of heat sources transmitting heat to the respective narrow portion.

10. The circuit component of claim 1 , wherein at least one terminal is coupled to a reference node.

11. The circuit component of claim 1 , wherein the output component is coupled to the first circuit via at least one terminal.

Assignees

• Psiquantum Corp

Inventors

• Najafi Faraz
• Jin Stone Qiaodan

Classifications

• H10N60/84

  Switching means for devices switchable between superconducting and normal states · CPC title

• H10N60/30

  Devices switchable between superconducting and normal states · CPC title

• G01J2001/442

  Single-photon detection or photon counting · CPC title

• G01J1/44

  Electric circuits {(for command of an exposure part G03B7/02)} · CPC title

• H03K19/195 Primary

  using superconductive devices · CPC title