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Applied Physics Letters

A Josephson ultrahigh-resolution sampling system

David B. Tuckerman

Published Jun 15, 1980• 57 citations
Publisher

Abstract

An ultrahigh-resolution Josephson-technology sampling system has been designed and tested. A complex test signal containing a 10-ps rise time was measured and agreed very well with the signal expected from simulations. The intrinsic rise time (step response) of the sampling system is believed to be about 6 ps. External analog circuitry was used to automate the system.

DOI
10.1063/1.91665

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An ultrahigh-resolution Josephson-technology sampling system has been designed and tested. A complex test signal containing a 10-ps rise time was measured and agreed very well with the signal expected from simulations. The intrinsic rise time (step response) of the sampling system is believed to be about 6 ps. External analog circuitry was used to automate the system.
Measurement of signals generated by superconducting Josephson junction (JJ) circuits require ultra-fast components located in close proximity to the generating circuitry. We report a detailed study of optimal design criteria for a JJ-based sampler which balances the highest sampler bandwidth (shortest 10\%--90\% rise time) with minimal sampled waveform distortion. We explore the impacts on performance of a sampler, realized using a single underdamped JJ as the logical sampling element (the comparator), due to the type of signal-comparator coupling scheme that is utilized (galvanic, inductive, or capacitive). In these simulations we emulate the entire waveform reconstruction sampling process, via comparator threshold detection, while sweeping the time location at which the waveform is being sampled. We extract the sampled waveform rise time (or FWHM) as a function of the comparator's Stewart-McCumber parameter and as a function of the coupling strength between the device under test and comparator. Based on our simulation results we design, fabricate, and characterize a cryocooled (3.6 K operating temperature) JJ sampler utilizing the NIST state-of-the-art Nb/amorphous-Si/Nb junctions. We separately sample a step signal and impulse generator co-located on-chip with the comparator and sampling strobe generator by implementing the same binary search comparator threshold detection technique during sampler operation as is used in simulation. With this technique the system is fully-digital and automated and operation of the fabricated device directly mirrors simulation. Our sampler technology shows a 10\%--90\% rise time of 3.3 ps and the capability to measure transient pulse widths of 2.5 ps FWHM. A linear systems analysis of sampled waveforms indicate a 3 dB bandwidth of 225 GHz, but we demonstrate effective measurement of signals well above this -- as high as 600 GHz.
Measurement of signals generated by superconducting Josephson junction (JJ) circuits require ultra-fast components located in close proximity to the generating circuitry. We report a detailed study of optimal design criteria for a JJ-based sampler that balances the highest sampler bandwidth (shortest 10%-90% rise time) with minimal sampled waveform distortion. We explore the impacts on the performance of a sampler, realized using a single underdamped JJ as the logical sampling element (the comparator), due to the type of signal-comparator coupling scheme that is utilized (galvanic, inductive, or capacitive). In these simulations, we emulate the entire waveform reconstruction sampling process, via comparator threshold detection, while sweeping the time location at which the waveform is being sampled. We extract the sampled waveform rise time [or full width at half maximum (FWHM)] as a function of the comparator's Stewart-McCumber parameter and as a function of the coupling strength between the device under test and comparator. Based on our simulation results, we design, fabricate, and characterize a cryocooled (3.6 K operating temperature) JJ sampler utilizing the NIST state-of-the-art Nb/amorphous-Si/Nb junctions. We separately sample a step signal and an impulse generator co-located on-chip with the comparator and sampling strobe generator by implementing the same binary search comparator threshold detection technique during sampler operation as is used in simulation. With this technique, the system is fully digital and automated, and the operation of the fabricated device directly mirrors simulation. Our sampler technology shows a 10%-90% rise time of 3.3 ps and the capability to measure transient pulse widths of 2.5 ps FWHM. A linear system analysis of sampled waveforms indicates a 3 dB bandwidth of 225 GHz, but we demonstrate effective measurement of signals well above this-as high as 600 GHz.
A superconducting sampling measurement system is a highly useful tool for analyzing ultrahigh speed electrical signals in cryogenic environments, due to a time resolution at ps levels with low current levels of /spl mu/A. The digitizing sampling system is composed of a Josephson sampling circuit, digital delay line, feedback signal detection circuit and a computer. The Josephson sampling circuit is designed for ETL's Nb-AlO/sub x/-Nb junction technology. A TDR measurement method using a CPW flip-chip bonding technique is proposed. The theoretical spatial resolution is estimated to reach around a hundred /spl mu/m.