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Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE

Demonstration of a series array interferometer logic (SAIL) superconductive digital circuit

Karen E. Yokoyama, S. Schwarzbek, Roger A. Davidheiser, Jerome A. Luine, N.J. Schneier

Published Jul 2, 1994• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

TRW is developing High Temperature Superconducting (HTS) electronics to dramatically improve the performance of space- based communications systems. These systems demand high speed analog-to-digital converters, high speed digital multiplexers, and quadriphase modulation of rf carrier signals. TRW has demonstrated an HTS high-speed multiplexer and a digital phase modulator that operates at microwave frequencies. The latter is the fundamental building block of a Quadriphase Modulator Exciter (QME). TRW has also developed an HTS cryogenic packaging subsystem which uses a commercially available palm-sized cryocooler. This package represents the first demonstration of an HTS self-supporting system. Package verification tests revealed that the package is capable of supporting high speed I/O and demonstrates reliable connectivity through multiple interfaces. The successful operation of a digital phase modulator has been demonstrated with this package.

DOI
10.1117/12.181006

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TRW is developing High Temperature Superconducting (HTS) electronics to dramatically improve the performance of space- based communications systems. These systems demand high speed analog-to-digital converters, high speed digital multiplexers, and quadriphase modulation of rf carrier signals. TRW has demonstrated an HTS high-speed multiplexer and a digital phase modulator that operates at microwave frequencies. The latter is the fundamental building block of a Quadriphase Modulator Exciter (QME). TRW has also developed an HTS cryogenic packaging subsystem which uses a commercially available palm-sized cryocooler. This package represents the first demonstration of an HTS self-supporting system. Package verification tests revealed that the package is capable of supporting high speed I/O and demonstrates reliable connectivity through multiple interfaces. The successful operation of a digital phase modulator has been demonstrated with this package.
TRW is developing High Temperature Superconducting (HTS) electronics to dramatically improve the performance of space based communications systems. These systems demand high speed analog-to-digital converters, high speed digital multiplexers, and quadriphase modulation of rf carrier signals. TRW has demonstrated an HTS high-speed multiplexer and a digital phase modulator that operates at microwave frequencies. The latter is the fundamental building block of a Quadriphase Modulator Exciter (QME). TRW has also developed an HTS cryogenic packaging subsystem which uses a commercially available palm-sized cryocooler. This package represents the first demonstration of an HTS self supporting system. Package verification tests revealed that the package is capable of supporting high speed I/O and demonstrates reliable connectivity through multiple interfaces. The successful operation of a digital phase modulator has been demonstrated with this package.
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.
We have successfully fabricated and tested a high temperature superconducting (HTS) sigma-delta modulator for analogue-to-digital conversion. This is the first demonstration of a GHz sampling A-to-D in HTS. The 15-junction single-flux-quantum (SFQ) circuit, fabricated using an epitaxial multilayer HTS process with YBCO/Co-YBCO/YBCO edge junctions, was internally clocked at 27 GHz and used to convert a 5.01 MHz signal. The modulator demonstrated a spur-free dynamic range of more than 75 dB. Two-tone measurements with 5.01 MHz and 5.51 MHz signals demonstrated third-order intermodulation products to be lower than -59 dBc. Demonstration of a functional HTS modulator represents a significant milestone in the development of high dynamic range ADCs suitable for such applications as surveillance radar.
Arrays of cryogenic microbolometers and other cryogenic detectors are being developed for infrared imaging. If the signal from each sensor is amplified, multiplexed, and digitized using superconducting electronics, then this data can be efficiently read out to ambient temperature with a minimum of noise and thermal load. HYPRES is developing an integrated system based on SQUID amplifiers, a high-resolution analog-to-digital converter (ADC) based on RSFQ (rapid single flux quantum) logic, and a clocked RSFQ multiplexer. The ADC and SQUIDs have already been demonstrated for other projects, so this paper will focus on new results of a digital multiplexer. Several test circuits have been fabricated using Nb Josephson technology and are about to be tested at T = 4.2 K, with a more complete prototype in preparation.
HYPRES is developing a prototype digital system comprising a Nb RSFQ analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and SiGe amplifiers on a commercial two-stage cryocooler. This involves the detailed thermal, electrical, and mechanical design of the ADC chip mount, input/output (I/O) cables, and electromagnetic shielding. Our objective is to minimize the heat load on the second (4 K) stage of the cryocooler, in order to ensure stable ADC operation. The design incorporates thermal radiation shields and magnetic shielding for the RSFQ circuit. For the I/O cables, the thermal design must be balanced against the acceptable attenuation of RF lines and resistance of DC bias lines. SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) signal conditioning circuits, placed on the first (60 K) stage of the cryocooler, will amplify the mV-level ADC outputs to V-level (e.g., ECL) outputs for seamless transition to room-temperature electronics. Cooling these HBT circuits lowers noise and improves their high-frequency performance. Demonstration of this prototype should lead the way to commercialization of high-speed digital superconducting systems, for such applications as wireless communication, radars, and switching networks.