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.>
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.>
Summary form only given. The author has surveyed the current state of the art of superconductive electronics. Emphasis was placed on circuits employing low-temperature superconducting materials such as lead (critical temperature T/sub c/=7 K) and two refractory materials, niobium (T/sub c/=9 K) and niobium nitride (T/sub c/=16 K). Efforts have been made to integrate these devices with a multilithic antenna on a 1-cm silicon chip to form a superconductive monolithic integrated 100-GHz heterodyne receiver. The goal of this effort was to develop a fully superconductive phased-array receiver. The author has also examined the status of further research in Josephson junction technology and phased-locked arrays of these junctions.>
CSIRO is the Australian national science agency and has had a long-history in research and development of superconducting electronic devices and systems for various practical applications. In this paper, I will give a brief introduction about the Josephson junction technology and describe CSIRO’s research progress in developing various novel high-Tcsuperconducting (HTS) Josephson junction devices and their applied systems. Recently, CSIRO has led the frontier research and development of high-frequency HTS Josephson detectors and heterodyne mixers ranging from microwave, millimeter, to terahertz (THz) frequency bands. These high-frequency superconducting quantum sensors/devices have demonstrated superior performance and applied in sensing and communication systems.
It is now possible to develop a new class of receivers for the millimeter and shorter wavelength region by application of Josephson and other electron tunneling phenomena which occur in superconducting materials. This development represents a major advance in receiver sensitivity and will be applicable over a wide frequency interval. Operating in the conventional heterodyne detection mode this receiver has a theoretical noise temperature as low as 20 Kelvin at 100 GHz. Three basic components required are: a superconductor-semiconductor Schottky diode mixer; a Josephson junction phase-locked multiplier local oscillator; and a Josephson parametric amplifier. The component and system design and limiting factors will be discussed.
Abstract Terahertz (THz) technology is a rapidly developing field that explores the use of electromagnetic waves in the THz frequency range. The unique properties of THz waves have great application prospects in electromagnetic sensing, security inspection, non-destructive testing, medical diagnostics, biology, high-speed wireless communication, space science and so on. At present, the application of THz technology is still under continuous research and development, and its broad scientific prospects are recognized worldwide. THz frequency falls into the gap on the electromagnetic spectrum of electronics and optics, thus both classic microwave and optical technologies cannot be directly applied to the THz systems. New components, circuits and application systems are being developed for THz technology. Superconductivity is a quantum mechanical phenomenon and offers unique advantages for applications in high-frequency electromagnetic domains. Novel superconducting quantum devices are being exploited for THz wave radiation and detection, and many THz application systems. The high-T c superconducting (HTS) electronic devices have great potential in emerging THz technologies due to its very high-energy bandgap (well into THz regions) and much relaxed cooling requirement, and they offer strong prospect for the development of practical and portable THz systems. This paper provides an overview of the state-of-art development of HTS THz quantum devices and their application for THz sensing, imaging and communication. The review will start with a brief introduction about cutting-edge THz technology, the fundamental of superconductivity, Josephson effects and the HTS Josephson junctions. Then, the research progress and the latest achievement of HTS Josephson THz emitters, detectors and mixers will be reviewed, followed by their application examples in some THz systems. Finally, the conclusion, challenges and outlooks of the HTS technologies in THz applications are discussed.
Josephson junctions are highly nonlinear and respond up to infrared frequencies. A wide variety of high frequency applications have been explored. In addition, several high frequency superconducting devices are being developed which do not use the Josephson effect. These include a superconducting version of the Schottky barrier diode for use as a heterodyne mixer and a video detector, and also a composite superconducting bolometer. In this review, the state of development of superconducting mixers, detectors, and parametric amplifiers at microwave, millimeter, and submillimeter wavelengths is discussed. Emphasis will be placed on developments which have taken place since 1974 when a previous review was circulated.
Superconductive electronics offers a unique combination of high bandwidth and low power for mission critical hardware such as digital processors at 20 to 100 GHz, microwatt per bit analog to digital converters, large digital switches at multi-Gb/s data rates, and low noise parametric amplifiers. This cryogenic technology, typically operating at a few degrees or a few tens of degrees Kelvin, depends upon the unique physics of superconducting materials such as Nb, NbN, and YBaCuO, and the fundamental circuit element, the Josephson junction (JJ) to create unique architectures of unprecedented design efficiency and performance. These circuits are based on the single flux quantum (SFQ) logic family, a technology that has no parallel in semiconductor electronics. Digital data is transmitted by voltage pulses with amplitude less than 1 mV, but at extremely high speeds. Individual gates have been operated as high as 370 GHz. In this paper, we present a brief overview of superconductive digital technology, describe some recent circuits, and discuss how the challenges to superconductive technology are being met, including the use of multi-chip module (MCM) technology, and the potential use of III-V HBT and HEMT circuits to provide interface drivers and amplifiers, possibly operated cryogenically.