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Superconductor Science and Technology

Single flux quantum quasi-digital voltage amplifier

V. K. Kaplunenko, V. P. Koshelets, M. Khabipov, Vladimir Golomidov, Sergey Kovtonyuk

Published Nov 1, 1991• 11 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The novel element of the rapid single flux quantum (RSFQ) logic family-the quasi digital voltage amplifier (QDVA)-which was recently proposed theoretically, has now been designed and experimentally investigated. The QDVA can be employed both as a logic element in digital circuits and as analogue voltage amplifier. The correct operation of the SFQ doubler has been demonstrated up to the output voltage 0.5 mV and with very large margins (up to 60%). The proposed QDVA can be integrated on the same chip with a SQUID sensor; it significantly simplifies the matching circuits and seems to be very attractive for the multichannel and digital SQUID systems.

DOI
10.1088/0953-2048/4/11/032

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The novel element of the rapid single flux quantum (RSFQ) logic family-the quasi digital voltage amplifier (QDVA)-which was recently proposed theoretically, has now been designed and experimentally investigated. The QDVA can be employed both as a logic element in digital circuits and as analogue voltage amplifier. The correct operation of the SFQ doubler has been demonstrated up to the output voltage 0.5 mV and with very large margins (up to 60%). The proposed QDVA can be integrated on the same chip with a SQUID sensor; it significantly simplifies the matching circuits and seems to be very attractive for the multichannel and digital SQUID systems.
Recently, many groups have been developing on-chip Rapid Single-Flux-Quantum (RSFQ) output amplifiers which are designed to connect RSFQ circuitry to room temperature electronics. One of such amplifiers is a distributed SQUID amplifier comprising SQUIDs embedded in cascaded RSFQ RS flip-flops. In this paper, we propose a distributed double-SQUID amplifier, where a SQUID is replaced with a double-SQUID. Test circuit was fabricated using a niobium integration technology. Measurements were performed in a liquid helium bath. We confirmed that the maximum output voltage swing of a 4-stage distributed double- SQUID amplifier was 2.93 mV, which was comparable with the corresponding numerical value of 3.54 mV.
Digital-to-analog converters based on rapid single flux quantum circuits (RSFQ-D/A converters) are candidates for the next generation of ac voltage standard. We re-optimized the device parameters of a voltage multiplier (VM) cell, one of the important components in the RSFQ-D/A converter, to implement a new voltage doubler (VD) cell. The output voltage of the VD cell was twice as high as that of the conventional VM cell. We fabricated VD cells using a Nb technology. We confirmed correct operation of the VD cells at input frequencies up to 30 GHz.
We report the enhanced voltage swing of a rapid-single-flux-quantum (RSFQ) distributed amplifier by replacing a single superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) with a double-stack-SQUID (DSS). A DSS is composed of two stacked 2-junction SQUIDs sharing one sensing inductor. Thanks to its stack structure, a DSS is expected to generate twofold output voltage. We have designed a 12-stage RSFQ distributed amplifier equipped with DSSs. The maximum output voltage swing reached 10.2 mV in simulation. Test chips were fabricated using a 25-µA/µm2 Nb integration process. In measurements, a test chip was cooled in a liquid helium bath. The experimental output voltage swing was up to 8.34 mV.
Rapid-single-flux-quantum digital-to-analogue converters (RSFQ-DACs) are now under development for ac voltage standard applications. The voltage multiplier (VM), which precisely amplifies the input voltage, is a key component for RSFQ-DACs. Because the amount of bias current for a conventional VM increases in proportion to its multiplication factor, we have been looking for a VM device which is operated on a different principle. In this paper, we report our design of a 1000-fold VM comprising double flux quantum amplifiers (DFQAs) of which the amount of bias current is independent of its multiplication factor. Test circuits were fabricated using a 2.5 kA/cm2 Nb process. We confirm that the experimental results demonstrate the 1000-fold operation up to 13.2 GHz input SFQ pulse repetition frequency.
We report on a voltage-state logic family based on shunted Josephson junctions and on the Rapid Single Flux Quantum (RSFQ) concept. Storing information in a voltage-state form makes this Multi-Flux-Quantum Logic (MFQL) easier to match to complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) circuits. The switching of MFQL element between the voltage and zero-voltage states takes a minimum of two SFQ pulses, and the switching time of this logic is comparable to that of RSFQ logic. The key logic element is an inverter in the form of an asymmetric interferometer, and the underlying idea is to use a separate superconducting wire to supply a standard dc output voltage for the elements. The asymmetric interferometer, directly coupled to the other elements, is actually a Josephson junction based three-terminal device or transistor. Elements such as NOT, OR, NOR, XOR, XNOR, a toggle flip-flop, and an RS trigger have been simulated, and show margins better than /spl plusmn/24%. The performance of this logic with current circuit fabrication technologies is also discussed.
The voltage multiplier (VM) is a principal component in high-precision digital-to-analog (D/A) converters based on rapid single flux quantum (RSFQ) circuits. Experimental confirmation of correct operation of the VM is important to guarantee the accuracy of the D/A converter. In this study, a circuit for direct comparison of the output voltages of VMs was designed and demonstrated. An on-chip SQUID sensor was utilized to detect the VM errors. Bit error rates of a single-stage VM were successfully measured down to 10/sup -12/ in the constant-voltage regions. A method of detecting errors during transients was also proposed and carried out.