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IEICE Transactions on Electronics

DC and AC Responses of Josephson Vortex Flow Transistors with High Tc Superconducting Thin Films

Yasushi Doda

Published Feb 1, 2006• 5 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We fabricated Josephson vortex flow transistors (JVFTs) with a parallel array of Josephson junctions that were prepared using c-axis-oriented 100-nm-thick YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ (YBCO) thin films grown on 24° bicrystal MgO (100) substrates. We observed clear modulations of the critical current and the flow voltage with DC current input to the control line that was inductively coupled to the array of junctions. From the results, we estimated the parameters of the device, e.g., the mutual inductance and the self-inductance, and calculated the operation frequency at which the device potentially exhibited these parameters. Moreover, the current gain and the transresistance were evaluated and found to be 0.5 and 0.15 Ω, respectively. In addition, we observed the high-frequency responses of the JVFT to the input AC current of the sine wave or the square pulse wave. A clear oscillation of the output voltage could be observed with a 1 MHz sine wave and 250 kHz square pulse wave. We also discussed the feasibility of higher frequency operation by using it as an input interface for a single flux quantum (SFQ) logic circuit.

DOI
10.1093/ietele/e89-c.2.177

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We fabricated Josephson vortex flow transistors (JVFTs) with a parallel array of Josephson junctions that were prepared using c-axis-oriented 100-nm-thick YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ (YBCO) thin films grown on 24° bicrystal MgO (100) substrates. We observed clear modulations of the critical current and the flow voltage with DC current input to the control line that was inductively coupled to the array of junctions. From the results, we estimated the parameters of the device, e.g., the mutual inductance and the self-inductance, and calculated the operation frequency at which the device potentially exhibited these parameters. Moreover, the current gain and the transresistance were evaluated and found to be 0.5 and 0.15 Ω, respectively. In addition, we observed the high-frequency responses of the JVFT to the input AC current of the sine wave or the square pulse wave. A clear oscillation of the output voltage could be observed with a 1 MHz sine wave and 250 kHz square pulse wave. We also discussed the feasibility of higher frequency operation by using it as an input interface for a single flux quantum (SFQ) logic circuit.
We have fabricated Josephson vortex flow transistors (JVFTs) that consist of a parallel array of Josephson junctions and a control current line to apply the external magnetic field at the junctions. We observed modulations of the flow voltage with a DC current input. From these results, we estimated the mutual inductance and the self-inductance, and calculated the operation frequency of the JVFT. Next, femtosecond laser pulses modulated by an optical chopper were irradiated to the Josephson junction array. As a result, we observed an increase in the output voltage in the current-voltage characteristics, and the clear modulation of the output voltage with the same period as the optical chopping rate. These results suggest that a JFVT can operate as an optical input interface for superconducting circuits.
A niobium-based superconducting amplifier consisting of a series array of 60 vortex flow transistors (VFT) was fabricated and tested. Each VFT consisted of a long Josephson junction biased in the flux flow state, magnetically coupled to a current based on a distributed amplifier configuration. The transresistance of the amplifier in a 50- Omega environment for frequencies up to 1 MHz was measured. The transresistance of the array was less than the expected value calculated from measurements obtained on a single VFT. The difference was probably due to nonuniformities in the fabrication process, which caused some of the junctions not to be biased in the flux flow state or receive the same amount of magnetic field from the control line. However, measurements of the array showed that a large number of VFTs could be connected in series and simultaneously be biased into the flux flow state.>
The dynamics of fluxons in the vortex flow transistor (VFT) has been much studied. The fluxon transit time determines the fundamental speed limit of operation. Since fluxons can travel at the velocity of electromagnetic waves in the junction, the VFT has the potential for operating in high frequency systems ( ≈ 100 GHz). However, owing to the low input and output impedance of the VFT, use of the device in a conventional circuit would be quite limited. A distributed amplifier configuration consisting of many VFTs has been proposed to remedy the problems of low impedance levels. However, the realization of such an amplifier circuit at microwave or millimetre wave frequencies depends on obtaining a circuit model. In this paper, microwave superconducting VFT distributed amplifiers using the balanced control technique is reviewed. This kind of amplifier has the advantage that the capacitive feedthrough effect is decreased to a negligible extent. This is the major limiting factor for high frequency applications. The self-field effect which makes the current step inclined is reduced by injecting bias current only around the region of one end of the junction thus obtaining steeper I- V characteristics. With the asymmetric geometry, the slope of the current step is about one hundred times steeper than those obtained with the conventional overlap geometry. Owing to the diamagnetic behaviour of the Josephson junction, a little of the magnetic field induced by the current in the control line is allowed to penetrate the junction. Thus, the transresistance rm of a VFT is very small. Some methods for maximizing rm and minimizing the output impedance r0 also appear in this review. The feasibility of fabricating VFT distributed amplifiers using low-Tc superconducting material has been demonstrated. The power gain of the amplifier can be as high as 15 dB with a flat frequency response.
A micrometre-size Josephson vortex flow transistor is demonstrated experimentally. The drain–source of this device is the output of a single-layer Nb superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) with a nanometre-size hole, forming a nanoSQUID. The device input is a Nb strip, which is closely coupled to the nanoSQUID. The change of the input current induces a change in the magnetic flux coupling to the nanoSQUID, and hence modulates the current–voltage characteristics of the nanoSQUID. The current gain and transresistance of the device were investigated by evaluating the mutual coupling and the dynamic resistance of the nanoSQUID. A current gain of 0.3 and a transresistance >1 Ω were achieved.
Quantum Flux Parametron (QFP) logic gates were designed and fabricated from a single layer of YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7/ thin film based on step-edge Josephson junctions. Self-inductance (L) of the QFP loop, an important circuit parameter, as is critical current (J/sub c/) of the Josephson junction, was determined by using directly coupled dc superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs). Magnetically coupled dc SQUIDs were used to detect the output signal from the QFP. Simulated waveforms were used to identify the operation modes of the QFP as a function of the circuit parameters. From examination of the output waveforms of the QFP, operation in agreement with simulations was confirmed.
We have fabricated coplanar type dc SQUIDs using NdBa2Cu3Oy superconducting thin films and operated fundamental single-flux-quantum (SFQ) circuits. The Josephson junctions were made by the narrow-focused ion beam irradiation technique. For a 145 μm wide and 10 μm long logic SQUID having a critical current of 105 μA and an inductive parameter (βL) of 28, a store and a restore of the flux quantum have been demonstrated at temperatures of 4.2–30 K. These operations were performed with an input pulsewidth of 5 ns (5 ns was the shortest input pulse width available from our function generating equipment). These results show experimentally the possibility of high speed operation in all high-Tc superconducting digital circuits.