Steady progress has been made in both theory and technology of superconductive electronics, but there has been little application to operational electronic systems. This paper, which was prepared for presentation at the 1976 Navy Summer Study on Superconductive Electronics, reviews those applications that might be of interest to radar. These applications include low-noise receivers, stable RF sources, MTI, synthetic aperture radar, and other areas of signal processing. Also included is a brief discussion of some of the potential problems associated with the use of such devices in a practical radar. Although there are areas of possible radar application of superconductive electronic devices, the burden of using cryogenics operationally as well as the availability of other competing electronic devices make it appear unlikely that superconducting electronics will find significant application in radar in the near future. (Author)
Steady progress has been made in both theory and technology of superconductive electronics, but there has been little application to operational electronic systems. This paper, which was prepared for presentation at the 1976 Navy Summer Study on Superconductive Electronics, reviews those applications that might be of interest to radar. These applications include low-noise receivers, stable RF sources, MTI, synthetic aperture radar, and other areas of signal processing. Also included is a brief discussion of some of the potential problems associated with the use of such devices in a practical radar. Although there are areas of possible radar application of superconductive electronic devices, the burden of using cryogenics operationally as well as the availability of other competing electronic devices make it appear unlikely that superconducting electronics will find significant application in radar in the near future. (Author)
Real-time signal processing is important in many emerging applications in areas such as pulse-compression radar, spread-spectrum communications, and electronic warfare. The required digitally equivalent computational rate for these applications is on the order of 10/sup 2/ arithmetic operations per second and the required instantaneous bandwidths could approach 10 GHz. These exceed by nearly three orders of magnitude the capabilities projected for digital systems in the near future, and even exceed that of recently developed analog technologies such as surface-acoustic-wave (SAW) signal-processing devices. To meet anticipated future system needs, superconductive analog signal-processing components with bandwidths of 2 GHz have recently been realized, and the technology is being developed for the realization of 10-GHz bandwidths. Issues of fabrication technology and subsystem integration are examined for superconductive analog signal-processing devices.>
Digital superconductor electronics has been experiencing rapid maturation with the emergence of smaller-scale, lower-cost communications applications which became the major technology drivers. These applications are primarily in the area of wireless communications, radar, and surveillance as well as in imaging and sensor systems. In these areas, the fundamental advantages of superconductivity translate into system benefits through novel Digital-RF architectures with direct digitization of wide band, high frequency radio frequency (RF) signals. At the same time the availability of relatively small 4K cryocoolers has lowered the foremost market barrier for cryogenically-cooled digital electronic systems. Recently, we have achieved a major breakthrough in the development, demonstration, and successful delivery of the cryocooled superconductor digital-RF receivers directly digitizing signals in a broad range from kilohertz to gigahertz. These essentially hybrid-technology systems combine a variety of superconductor and semiconductor technologies packaged with two-stage commercial cryocoolers: cryogenic Nb mixed-signal and digital circuits based on Rapid Single Flux Quantum (RSFQ) technology, room-temperature amplifiers, FPGA processing and control circuitry. The demonstrated cryocooled digital-RF systems are the world's first and fastest directly digitizing receivers operating with live satellite signals in X-band and performing signal acquisition in HF to L-band at ∼30GHz clock frequencies.
It has been nearly 110 years since the discovery of superconductors, and more than 30 years since the discovery of high temperature superconductors (HTS). Great progress has been made in the application of superconducting electronics in the last two decades. HTS microwave devices have shown much higher perfomance than the traditional ones and have found their ways to the industry applications in mobile communication, radar, and special communication applications. Owing to the ultrahigh sensitivity to magnetic fields and currents, superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) have been used as the irresplacible sensors in geological surveying, magnetic resonanc imaging, biomagnetic imaging, and other areas. The sensitivity of superconducting radiation detectors such as superconducting SIS mixer, superconducting hot electron bolometer, superconducting transition edge sensor, superconducting nanowire single photon detector, and superconducting microwave kinetic inductance detector are near the quantum limitation. They are now key technology in geophysics, astrophysics, quantum information science, biomedicine, and so on. Superconducting Josephson parametric amplifier has become a key element for superconducting quantum computing. Superconducting integrated circuit has been included in the international roadmap for devices and systems, and shows that having the potential to become one of the mainstreams for post-Moore information processing technology. In metrology, superconducting Josephson effect and Josephson junction array devices have been widely used in the redefinition of quantum voltage reference and basic units of the International system of Units. Superconducting electronics plays an important role in the current quantum information technology boom, which in turn promotes the development of superconducting electronics. This review will brief introduce the research and application of superconducting electronics in China in recent years.
An overview of semiconductor-based and superconductor-based low-temperature electronics is presented. The general issues of reliability and thermal expansion mismatch are discussed. The discussion of semiconductor electronics starts with a description of a cryogenic supercomputer, the ETA, and then covers devices and materials, noise and applications to signal processing for sensors. Superconductor electronics is then discussed, including signal processing, digital systems, and oscillating junctions. The success of electronics with small numbers of Josephson junctions and the outlook for higher-temperature operation are addressed. Hybrid applications, combining semiconductor and superconductor technologies at the device, circuit, or system level, are examined, highlighting the problems of electrical interfacing and interconnections. >
An overview of semiconductor-based and superconductor-based low-temperature electronics is presented. The general issues of reliability and thermal expansion mismatch are discussed. The discussion of semiconductor electronics starts with a description of a cryogenic supercomputer, the ETA, and then covers devices and materials, noise and applications to signal processing for sensors. Superconductor electronics is then discussed, including signal processing, digital systems, and oscillating junctions. The success of electronics with small numbers of Josephson junctions and the outlook for higher-temperature operation are addressed. Hybrid applications, combining semiconductor and superconductor technologies at the device, circuit, or system level, are examined, highlighting the problems of electrical interfacing and interconnections.>
Refractive superconducting materials such as niobium (T/sub c/=9 K) and niobium nitride (T/sub c/=16 K) are used in the development of electronic devices for use at millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths. The author describes this program, and discusses the inherent advantages of superconductive electronics and the potential of the high-temperature materials for communication systems. The work concentrates on three areas: (1) the development of the components of a phased-array receiver operating in the 0.1-to-0.3 THz frequency regime; (2) research into NbN Josephson junction (JJ) technology and JJ arrays to provide the basic building blocks for a similar development in the THz regime; and (3) the development of analog and digital signal processing devices using superconducting technology.>