Cryogenic chamber connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12051870-B2
Application number	US-202117456670-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 29, 2021
Priority date	Nov 29, 2021
Publication date	Jul 30, 2024
Grant date	Jul 30, 2024

Abstract

An approach for connecting electrical wiring between two chambers of varying temperatures is disclosed. One approach includes a first end of a wiring bundle comprising a first plurality of metal conductors; a second end of the wiring bundle comprising of equal number of metal conductors as the first end of the wiring bundle; the first end of the wiring bundle is separated by an air gap from the second end of the wiring bundle at a first temperature; and an insulator surrounding the wire bundle. Another approach includes the use of one or more SMA (shape-memory alloy) pins connecting the first end of the wiring bundle to the second end of the wiring bundle and that is separated by an air gap and a boundary plate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A structure for connecting computer wiring between two chambers of varying temperatures associated with quantum computing, the structure comprising:
a first end of a first wiring bundle comprising a first plurality of metal conductors;
a second end of second wiring bundle comprising of equal number of metal conductors as the first end of the first wiring bundle;
the first end of the wiring bundle is separated by an air gap from the second end of the wiring bundle at a first temperature, wherein the first temperature is higher than 50 K (Kelvin); and
an insulator surrounding the wire bundle, wherein the insulator is made from a material that has a varying CTE (coefficient of linear thermal expansion) and the insulator contracts based on a second temperature, wherein the second temperature is lower than 1 K (Kelvin) and the contraction of the insulator brings the first end of the wiring bundle together with the second end of the wiring bundle to form an electrical connection.

2. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the insulator contracts based on a second temperature, wherein the second temperature is lower than 1 K (Kelvin) and the contraction of the insulator brings the first end of together with the second end of the wiring bundle to form an electrical connection.

3. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the insulator expands based on the first temperature and the expansion of the insulator separates the first end from the second end of the wiring bundle.

4. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the insulator is made from plexiglass.

5. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the air gap separates the two chambers.

6. The structure of claim 1 , wherein a first chamber of the two chambers is at room temperature.

7. The structure of claim 1 , wherein a second chamber of the two chambers is at cryogenic temperature, such as below 5 K (Kelvin).

8. A structure for connecting computer wiring between two chambers of varying temperatures associated with quantum computing, the device comprising:
a first end of a first wiring bundle comprising a first plurality of metal conductors;
a second end of second wiring bundle comprising of equal number of metal conductors as the first end of the first wiring bundle;
the first end of the wiring bundle is separated by an air gap from the second end of the wiring bundle at a first temperature, wherein the first temperature is higher than 50 K (Kelvin); and
an insulator surrounding the wire bundle, wherein the plurality of metal conductors are made from materials with varying CTE (coefficient of linear thermal expansion) and the plurality of metal conductors contracts based on a second temperature wherein the second temperature is lower than 1 K (Kelvin) and the contraction of the plurality of metal conductors brings the first end of the first wiring bundle together with the second end of the second wiring bundle to form an electrical connection.

9. The structure of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of metal conductors contracts based on a second temperature wherein the second temperature is lower than 1 K (Kelvin) and the contraction of the plurality of metal conductors brings the first end of together with the second end of the wiring bundle to form an electrical connection.

10. The structure of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of metal conductors expands based on the first temperature and the expansion of the plurality of metal conductors separates the first end from the second end of the wiring bundle.

11. The structure of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of metal conductors is made from copper.

12. The structure of claim 8 , wherein the air gap separates the two chambers.

13. The structure of claim 8 , wherein a first chamber of the two chambers is at room temperature.

14. The structure of claim 8 , wherein a second chamber of the two chambers is at cryogenic temperature, such as 5 K (Kelvin).

15. A structure for connecting computer wiring between two chambers of varying temperatures associated with quantum computing, the structure comprising:
a first end of a wiring bundle comprising a first plurality of metal conductors;
a second end of the wiring bundle comprising of equal number of metal conductors as the first end of the wiring bundle;
an insulator surrounding the wire bundle;
one or more SMA (shape-memory alloy) pins connecting the first end of the wiring bundle to the second end of the wiring bundle;
one or more pin brackets located at each opposite end of the one or more SMA pins;
a male end connector located at the first end of the bundle of wiring and a female end connector located the second end of the bundle of wiring; and
the male end connector is separated by an air gap and a boundary plate from the female end connector at a first temperature, wherein the first temperature is higher than 50 K (Kelvin).

16. The structure of claim 15 , wherein the one or more SMA pins contracts based on a second temperature wherein the second temperature is lower than 1 K (Kelvin) and the contraction of the one or more SMA pins brings the first end of together with the second end of the wiring bundle to form an electrical connection.

17. The structure of claim 15 , wherein the one or more SMA pins expands based on the first temperature and the expansion of the one or more SMA pins separates the first end from the second end of the wiring bundle.

18. The structure of claim 15 , wherein the one or more SMA pins is made from alloy comprising of nickel and titanium.

19. The structure of claim 15 , wherein the boundary plate has a thickness ranging from 10 to 100 mm.

20. The structure of claim 15 , wherein a second chamber of the two chambers is at cryogenic temperature, such as 5 K (Kelvin).

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Schoneck Kyle
• Berge Layne A
• Bjorgaard Jason J
• Dangler John R
• Doyle Matthew
• Liang Thomas W
• Walther Matthew A

Classifications

• H01R24/28

  Coupling parts carrying pins, blades or analogous contacts and secured only to wire or cable · CPC title

• G06N10/40

  Physical realisations or architectures of quantum processors or components for manipulating qubits, e.g. qubit coupling or qubit control · CPC title

• H01R2201/06

  for computer periphery · CPC title

• H01R13/207 Primary

  by screw-in connection · CPC title

• H01R4/68 Primary

  Connections to or between superconductive connectors · CPC title