Superconducting Logic Components

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025247098-A1
Application number	US-202519081941-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 17, 2025
Priority date	Feb 14, 2018
Publication date	Jul 31, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

An example circuit includes a superconducting component having a plurality of narrow portions and a plurality of wide portions, wherein the plurality of narrow portions and the plurality of wide portions have curved edges and rounded corners. The example circuit also includes a plurality of photon detector components, each photon detector component coupled to a corresponding narrow portion of the plurality of narrow portions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A circuit, comprising:
a superconducting component having a plurality of narrow portions and a plurality of wide portions, wherein the plurality of narrow portions and the plurality of wide portions have curved edges and rounded corners; and a plurality of photon detector components, each photon detector component coupled to a corresponding narrow portion of the plurality of narrow portions.

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

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

4 . The circuit of claim 1 , wherein each wide portion of the plurality of wide portions is configured to remain in a superconducting state while a corresponding narrow portion transitions from the superconducting state to a non-superconducting state.

5 . The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of wide portions is configured to thermally isolate narrow portions of the plurality of narrow portions from one another so that a respective narrow portion transitioning to a non-superconducting state is not sufficient to cause a neighboring narrow portion to transition to the non-superconducting state.

6 . The circuit of claim 1 , wherein each photon detector component of the plurality of photon detector components comprises a superconductor.

7 . The circuit of claim 1 , further comprising a current source configured to supply a current such that a respective narrow portion of the superconducting component is in a superconducting state in the absence of a respective output from a corresponding photon detector component.

8 . The circuit of claim 1 , further comprising one or more impedance components coupled to the superconducting component, wherein the one or more impedance components are configured to adjust an amount of current flow through portions of the superconducting component.

9 . The circuit of claim 1 , further comprising an inductive component coupled to the superconducting component, wherein the inductive component is configured to adjust a transition time for transitioning respective narrow portions of the plurality of narrow portions.

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

11 . The circuit of claim 1 , wherein each photon detector component is electrically isolated from the corresponding narrow portion.

12 . The circuit of claim 1 , further comprising configurable logic circuitry coupled to the superconducting component.

13 . The circuit of claim 1 , further comprising an output component coupled to the superconducting component, the output component configured to determine a number of the plurality of narrow portions of the superconducting component that are in a non-superconducting state.

14 . A method of detecting photons, comprising:
providing a first current to a circuit that includes:
a superconducting component having a plurality of narrow portions and a plurality of wide portions, wherein the plurality of narrow portions and the plurality of wide portions have curved edges and rounded corners; and
a plurality of photon detector components, each photon detector component coupled to a corresponding narrow portion of the plurality of narrow portions
wherein the first current is configured such that the plurality of narrow portions operates in a superconducting state; providing an input to one or more narrow portions of the plurality of narrow portions, the input configured to initiate a transition of the one or more narrow portions to a non-superconducting state while the plurality of wide portions is maintained in the superconducting state; and determining a number of the plurality of narrow portions in the non-superconducting state based on an impedance of the superconducting component.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the input is provided by a set of photon detector components that is coupled to the one or more narrow portions.

16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the first current is provided via a current source coupled to the superconducting component.

17 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the circuit further comprises a resistive component coupled in parallel with the superconducting component.

18 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the number of the plurality of narrow portions in the non-superconducting state is determined by a readout component.

19 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising, after determining the number of the plurality of narrow portions in the non-superconducting state, transitioning the one or more narrow portions from the non-superconducting state to the superconducting state.

20 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising, after determining the number of the plurality of narrow portions in the non-superconducting state, resetting the one or more narrow portions.

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