Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Digest of technical papers/Digest of technical papers - IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference

Superconductive single-flux quantum technology

Oleg A. Mukhanov

Published Dec 17, 2002• 8 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Key digital circuits for signal processing with tens of gigahertz speed and a few microwatts power dissipation have been recently demonstrated using a simple, 2 /spl mu/m linewidth process. These are the fastest digital circuits reported to date. These circuits use novel rapid single flux quantum (RSFQ) technology that takes advantage of the fundamental properties of superconductivity. In this technology, data and clock are picosecond-long quantized voltage pulses corresponding to the transfer of single magnetic flux quanta, /spl Phisub 0/=h/2e=2 mVps. These SFQ pulses are regenerated at each gate and are processed by circuits comprised of overdamped Josephson junctions interconnected via microstrip inductances. The inherent internal memory of all RSFQ gates (primarily flip-flops), combined with high switching speed, makes serial, bit-pipelined circuit design advantageous. This paper presents experiments in RSFQ digital circuits, including an N/spl times/8b serial multiplier, and on-chip test systems based on RSFQ shift registers and on SFQ samplers. They enable test and study of RSFQ circuits at full GHz speed while communicating with semiconductor electronics at low speed.>

DOI
10.1109/isscc.1994.344703

Related papers

RSFQ logic/memory family: a new Josephson-junction technology for sub-terahertz-clock-frequency digital systems

K. K. Likharev, Vasili K. Semenov

Recent developments concerning the rapid single-flux-quantum (RSFQ) circuit family are reviewed. Elementary cells in this circuit family can generate, pass, memorize, and reproduce picosecond voltage pulses with a nominally quantized area corresponding to transfer of a single magnetic flux quantum across a Josephson junction. Functionally, each cell can be viewed as a combination of a logic gate and an output latch (register) controlled by clock pulses, which are physically similar to the signal pulses. Hand-shaking style of local exchange by the clock pulses enables one to increase complexity of the LSI RSFQ systems without loss of operating speed. The simplest components of the RSFQ circuitry have been experimentally tested at clock frequencies exceeding 100 GHz, and an increase of the speed beyond 300 GHz is expected as a result of using an up-to-date fabrication technology. This review includes a discussion of possible future developments and applications of this novel, ultrafast digital technology.>

IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity•Mar 1, 1991•2,124 citations

Asynchronous circuits and systems in superconducting RSFQ digital technology

Z.J. Deng, Nobuyuki Yoshikawa, J. Tierno +2 more

Superconductive Rapid Single Flux Quantum (RSFQ) logic and memory, in which ones and zeros are represented by the presence or absence within a timing window of quantized picosecond voltage pulse (/spl int/v(t)dt=h/2e=2.07 mV/spl middot/ps), corresponding to one SFQ, can be integrated into a digital computing system with an operating rate of several tens of GHz, based on the present Nb Josephson junction integrated circuit technology. It is the most promising technology beyond semiconductor transistors for low-power high-end computation. However, as the operating speed of circuits and systems increase, timing uncertainty from fabrication process variations makes global synchronization very hard. In this paper, we present a globally asynchronous, locally synchronous timing methodology for RSFQ digital design, which can solve the global synchronization problem. We also demonstrate the recent experimental results of some asynchronous circuits and systems implemented in RSFQ technology. Several key components such as a self-timed shift register, a self-timed demultiplexor, a Muller-C element, a completion detector, and a clock generator have been designed and tested. High speed operation has been confirmed up to 20 Gb/s for a prototype data buffer system, which consists two self-timed shift registers and an on-chip 5-38 GHz clock generator.

IEEE International Symposium on Asynchronous Circuits and Systems (ASYNC)•Nov 27, 2002•7 citations

Ultrafast Superconducting Digital Circuits for Analysis and Processing of Microwave Signals

Pascal Febvre, Torsten Reich, Thomas Ortlepp +1 more

Rapid-Single-Flux-Quantum (RSFQ) digital circuits based on shunted Josephson junctions have been shown to be able to digitally process signals up to several hundreds GHz. The principle of operation is based on the generation, transport and processing of picosecond voltage pulses of 2.07 mV.ps quantized area, which corresponds to one quantum flux h/2e. Operation of RSFQ circuits can be performed with clock frequencies of the order of 20 to 50 GHz with present technology. We will present current developments and experimental results obtained so far, based on circuits developed in the JeSEF RSFQ process of IPHT Jena, using a 1 kA/cm2 shunted Nb/Al-AlOx/Nb junctions. Some particular potential applications for space will be emphasized

•May 1, 2006•0 citations

Design and testing of rapid single flux quantum shift registers with magnetically coupled readout gates

Perng-Fei Yuh, Oleg A. Mukhanov

Experimental superconducting shift registers consisting of on-chip clock generators, clock regeneration and distribution circuits, shift register elements, and readout circuits are designed using rapid single flux quantum logic/memory (RSFQ) gates. A 7-b shift register has been tested to 12 GHz and a 17-b to 21 GHz using external triggering clocks with relative delay measurements. Testing with internal clocks generated from Josephson oscillations shows a potential high-speed operation of 45 GHz for the 7-b and 30 GHz for the 17-b shift registers. Two types of magnetically coupled readout gates are discussed. The chips are fabricated using a Nb/AlO/sub /x/Nb Josephson-junction process at a critical-current density of 1000 A/cm/sup 2/. The power dissipation per bit is 3 mu W.>

IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity•Jan 1, 1992•21 citations

Ultimate performance of the RSFQ logic circuits

Oleg A. Mukhanov, Vasili K. Semenov, Konstantin K. Likharev

A new family of dc-powered Josephson junction digital devices, the Rapid Single Flux Quantum (RSFQ) logic, is described. The devices use overdamped Josephson junctions and two-junction interferometers to store, pass and process the digital information presented in form of single flux quanta. We have carried out extensive numerical simulation of the dynamics of the RSFQ logic gates and of some more complex circuits including serial full adder and reversible shift register, within the standard microscopic-theory ("Werthamer") description of Josephson junctions. The minimum clock cycles of the basic RSFQ circuits turn out to be as small as 2.5 ps. The most promising ways to use the RSFQ logic circuits at the present stage of development of the Josephson junction digital technology are discussed.

IEEE Transactions on Magnetics•Mar 1, 1987•143 citations

RSFQ: What we know and what we don't

Stanislav V. Polonsky

Rapid Single Flux Quantum (RSFQ) Josephson-junction technology is capable of processing digital data at sub-terahertz frequencies while dissipating almost negligible power. At the present time one can routinely simulate, optimize, design, manufacture, and test an elementary RSFQ logic/memory cell consisting of dozens of Josephson junctions. Furthermore, a number of relatively complex (few hundred to few thousand Josephson junctions) digital circuits were designed and successfully tested. Moreover we know how to implement several RSFQ systems (including analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converters, digital SQUIDs for supersensitive magnetometry, and digital autocorrelator for radioastronomy) which would far outperform their currently available and even prospective semiconductor counterparts. In order to implement more complex RSFQ systems, including high-performance digital signal processors and general purpose computers there are a number of technical problems to solve. The issues include making full use of on-chip sub-terahertz processing in conditions when inter-chip data/clock exchange speed is bound by bandwidth of the order of a few Gbps/pin. I present the current know-how of the field, and formulate the questions that need to be solved before the RSFQ technology becomes a major workhorse of high-performance computation.

IEEE International Conference on Computer Design: VLSI in Computers and Processors (ICCD)•Dec 24, 2002•2 citations
Key digital circuits for signal processing with tens of gigahertz speed and a few microwatts power dissipation have been recently demonstrated using a simple, 2 /spl mu/m linewidth process. These are the fastest digital circuits reported to date. These circuits use novel rapid single flux quantum (RSFQ) technology that takes advantage of the fundamental properties of superconductivity. In this technology, data and clock are picosecond-long quantized voltage pulses corresponding to the transfer of single magnetic flux quanta, /spl Phisub 0/=h/2e=2 mVps. These SFQ pulses are regenerated at each gate and are processed by circuits comprised of overdamped Josephson junctions interconnected via microstrip inductances. The inherent internal memory of all RSFQ gates (primarily flip-flops), combined with high switching speed, makes serial, bit-pipelined circuit design advantageous. This paper presents experiments in RSFQ digital circuits, including an N/spl times/8b serial multiplier, and on-chip test systems based on RSFQ shift registers and on SFQ samplers. They enable test and study of RSFQ circuits at full GHz speed while communicating with semiconductor electronics at low speed.>
Recent developments concerning the rapid single-flux-quantum (RSFQ) circuit family are reviewed. Elementary cells in this circuit family can generate, pass, memorize, and reproduce picosecond voltage pulses with a nominally quantized area corresponding to transfer of a single magnetic flux quantum across a Josephson junction. Functionally, each cell can be viewed as a combination of a logic gate and an output latch (register) controlled by clock pulses, which are physically similar to the signal pulses. Hand-shaking style of local exchange by the clock pulses enables one to increase complexity of the LSI RSFQ systems without loss of operating speed. The simplest components of the RSFQ circuitry have been experimentally tested at clock frequencies exceeding 100 GHz, and an increase of the speed beyond 300 GHz is expected as a result of using an up-to-date fabrication technology. This review includes a discussion of possible future developments and applications of this novel, ultrafast digital technology.>
Superconductive Rapid Single Flux Quantum (RSFQ) logic and memory, in which ones and zeros are represented by the presence or absence within a timing window of quantized picosecond voltage pulse (/spl int/v(t)dt=h/2e=2.07 mV/spl middot/ps), corresponding to one SFQ, can be integrated into a digital computing system with an operating rate of several tens of GHz, based on the present Nb Josephson junction integrated circuit technology. It is the most promising technology beyond semiconductor transistors for low-power high-end computation. However, as the operating speed of circuits and systems increase, timing uncertainty from fabrication process variations makes global synchronization very hard. In this paper, we present a globally asynchronous, locally synchronous timing methodology for RSFQ digital design, which can solve the global synchronization problem. We also demonstrate the recent experimental results of some asynchronous circuits and systems implemented in RSFQ technology. Several key components such as a self-timed shift register, a self-timed demultiplexor, a Muller-C element, a completion detector, and a clock generator have been designed and tested. High speed operation has been confirmed up to 20 Gb/s for a prototype data buffer system, which consists two self-timed shift registers and an on-chip 5-38 GHz clock generator.
Rapid-Single-Flux-Quantum (RSFQ) digital circuits based on shunted Josephson junctions have been shown to be able to digitally process signals up to several hundreds GHz. The principle of operation is based on the generation, transport and processing of picosecond voltage pulses of 2.07 mV.ps quantized area, which corresponds to one quantum flux h/2e. Operation of RSFQ circuits can be performed with clock frequencies of the order of 20 to 50 GHz with present technology. We will present current developments and experimental results obtained so far, based on circuits developed in the JeSEF RSFQ process of IPHT Jena, using a 1 kA/cm2 shunted Nb/Al-AlOx/Nb junctions. Some particular potential applications for space will be emphasized
Experimental superconducting shift registers consisting of on-chip clock generators, clock regeneration and distribution circuits, shift register elements, and readout circuits are designed using rapid single flux quantum logic/memory (RSFQ) gates. A 7-b shift register has been tested to 12 GHz and a 17-b to 21 GHz using external triggering clocks with relative delay measurements. Testing with internal clocks generated from Josephson oscillations shows a potential high-speed operation of 45 GHz for the 7-b and 30 GHz for the 17-b shift registers. Two types of magnetically coupled readout gates are discussed. The chips are fabricated using a Nb/AlO/sub /x/Nb Josephson-junction process at a critical-current density of 1000 A/cm/sup 2/. The power dissipation per bit is 3 mu W.>
A new family of dc-powered Josephson junction digital devices, the Rapid Single Flux Quantum (RSFQ) logic, is described. The devices use overdamped Josephson junctions and two-junction interferometers to store, pass and process the digital information presented in form of single flux quanta. We have carried out extensive numerical simulation of the dynamics of the RSFQ logic gates and of some more complex circuits including serial full adder and reversible shift register, within the standard microscopic-theory ("Werthamer") description of Josephson junctions. The minimum clock cycles of the basic RSFQ circuits turn out to be as small as 2.5 ps. The most promising ways to use the RSFQ logic circuits at the present stage of development of the Josephson junction digital technology are discussed.
Rapid Single Flux Quantum (RSFQ) Josephson-junction technology is capable of processing digital data at sub-terahertz frequencies while dissipating almost negligible power. At the present time one can routinely simulate, optimize, design, manufacture, and test an elementary RSFQ logic/memory cell consisting of dozens of Josephson junctions. Furthermore, a number of relatively complex (few hundred to few thousand Josephson junctions) digital circuits were designed and successfully tested. Moreover we know how to implement several RSFQ systems (including analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converters, digital SQUIDs for supersensitive magnetometry, and digital autocorrelator for radioastronomy) which would far outperform their currently available and even prospective semiconductor counterparts. In order to implement more complex RSFQ systems, including high-performance digital signal processors and general purpose computers there are a number of technical problems to solve. The issues include making full use of on-chip sub-terahertz processing in conditions when inter-chip data/clock exchange speed is bound by bandwidth of the order of a few Gbps/pin. I present the current know-how of the field, and formulate the questions that need to be solved before the RSFQ technology becomes a major workhorse of high-performance computation.