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Applied Physics Letters

Voltage divider operation using high-Tc superconducting interface-engineered Josephson junctions

Kazuo Saitoh, Yoshihisa Soutome, Tokuumi Fukazawa, Yoshinobu Tarutani, Kazumasa Takagi

Published May 1, 2000• 19 citations
Publisher

Abstract

A rapid-single-flux-quantum toggle-flip-flop logic gate was fabricated using high-temperature superconducting interface-engineered Josephson junctions. It was shown that the gate can operate as a voltage divider up to 155 GHz at 15 K and 19 GHz at 27 K. At the same time, the temperature dependence of the IcRn product and the maximum divided voltage was compared. As a result, it was found that the ratio of these values is 0.4–0.1 for 15 K>T>27 K. Circuit simulation with noise sources reveals this peculiar temperature dependence of the maximum divided voltage.

DOI
10.1063/1.126423

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Applied Physics Letters•May 25, 1998•11 citations
A rapid-single-flux-quantum toggle-flip-flop logic gate was fabricated using high-temperature superconducting interface-engineered Josephson junctions. It was shown that the gate can operate as a voltage divider up to 155 GHz at 15 K and 19 GHz at 27 K. At the same time, the temperature dependence of the IcRn product and the maximum divided voltage was compared. As a result, it was found that the ratio of these values is 0.4–0.1 for 15 K>T>27 K. Circuit simulation with noise sources reveals this peculiar temperature dependence of the maximum divided voltage.
We fabricated and tested high-temperature superconducting (HTS) rapid-single-flux-quantum (RSFQ) circuits using interface-engineered Josephson junction (IEJ). The characteristics of high-speed operation were examined by voltage-divider operation based on the toggle-flip-flop circuit. An operation at 155 GHz was obtained at 15 K and the proper functioning of the voltage divider was observed up to 27 K. Temperature dependence of the maximum operation speed was analyzed by circuit simulation with thermal-noise sources. To achieve higher speed operation using a Josephson junction with a higher I/sub c/R/sub n/ product, we also fabricated an RSFQ balanced comparator using IEJ; proper switching characteristics of the circuit was confirmed up to 190 GHz at 30 K. The bias condition dependencies were studied based on the circuit simulations in the relationship of the I/sub c/R/sub n/ product. The results of circuit simulation indicate that a Josephson junction with an I/sub c/R/sub n/ product of more than 0.7 mV is required for high-speed operation (100 GHz) in high-temperature range (30-40 K). We believe that the IEJ is a promising junction candidate for realizing high-speed operation in a high-temperature range.
We designed and fabricated a rapid-single-flux-quantum T flip-flop (TFF) with high- T c interface-engineered Josephson junctions. Y 1 Ba 2 Cu 3 O 7− d and Sr 2 AlTaO 6 were deposited for the superconducting layer and the insulating layer, respectively. The Josephson junction was formed through an interface treatment process using Ar ion milling and vacuum annealing. We simulated a TFF circuit and designed a physical layout using WRspice and Xic. The fabricated TFF has a minimum junction width of 3 μm. Through the measurement of the voltage divider operation, the maximum operation frequency was estimated to be 53 GHz at 22 K and 106 GHz at 12 K.
We report a developed single-flux-quantum (SFQ) circuit fabrication process for vertically-stacked interface-treated Josephson junctions by using high-temperature superconductor (HTS) and also report the 500 GHz operation of a toggle flip-flop (TFF). As the first trial of the circuit operation, we fabricated TFF circuits, because TFF is used as a benchmark circuit to indicate potential of the circuit operating speed. To develop the circuit fabrication process, we utilized the counter YBCO layer as a wiring layer. We obtained resistively-shunted-junction behavior of single junction fabricated by new process. In addition, we observed current-voltage characteristics at the input port and the output port of the TFF, and confirmed that the input voltage coincided with twice the output voltage up to 1.1 mV at 4.2 K, which corresponds to the correct operation up to 500 GHz. This frequency is the highest value in HTS circuits ever observed, which suggests the high potential of the vertically-stacked JJs for the circuit operation.
Using self-shunted MgB2/MgO/MgB2 Josephson junctions, we have designed, fabricated, and tested a rapid single flux quantum toggle flip flop (TFF) circuit. The junctions used MgB2 films grown by hybrid physical-chemical vapor deposition with MgO barrier layer and insulating layer deposited by RF magnetron sputtering. The result showed the frequency-division function of the TFF circuit, evidenced by the output voltage being half the input voltage, up to 63 GHz at 20 K and 180 GHz at 3.2 K, which demonstrates the potential of high operating speeds and high working temperatures in MgB2 superconducting integrated circuits.
Abstract We performed a comprehensive investigation of the relationship between the maximum operating frequency of the NbN superconducting frequency divider and the key parameters of the NbN Josephson junction (JJ). We designed a superconducting frequency divider that uses a single NbN JJ as a pulse generator, several NbN Josephson transmission lines, an NbN Toggle Flip-flop, and a load. By comparing the bias voltage V in of the pulse generator with the output voltage V out of the load, we determined if the circuit was working correctly and calculated the maximum operating frequency f max. Additionally, we employed JSICsim software for simulations to analyze the impact of key parameters of the NbN JJ, such as critical current density J c, gap voltage V g, characteristic voltage V c, quality factor Q, and specific capacitance C s, on f max. The simulation results demonstrate that f max increases with increasing J c and Q. Specifically when J c exceeds 300 kA cm−2 and Q surpasses 4, the superconducting frequency divider can achieve a f max of 1 THz. Furthermore, we successfully fabricated a superconducting frequency divider using a 10 kA cm−2 process and tested a f max of 260 GHz, with a deviation of approximately 6% from the simulation results.
Basic characteristics of a simple single-flux-quantum (SFQ) logic gate using high-Tc material and Josephson junction (NdBa2Cu3O7−δ and focused ion beam junction) have been investigated. The logic gate consists of an rf-superconducting quantum interference device (rf-SQUID) and a dc-SQUID. In the logic gate, elementary SFQ logic operations, such as generating SFQ (dc/SFQ) and providing simultaneous readout (SFQ/dc), have been confirmed up to 50 K. The temperature dependencies of the output voltage level and the critical current-normal resistance (IcRn) product were compared, and the decreasing tendency of the output voltage level for increasing temperature was found to be more rapid than that of the IcRn product.