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IEEE International Superconductive Electronics Conference (ISEC)

Superconductor Electronics and the International Roadmap for Devices and Systems

D. Scott Holmes, Erik P. DeBenedictis

Published Jun 1, 2017• 9 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The International Roadmap for Devices and Systems (IRDS) recently succeeded the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS). The roadmap driver changed from scaling physical dimensions to application requirements and now includes a broader range of non-semiconductor technologies, such as superconductor electronics (SCE). We review current applications for SCE, ranging from development activities to small- scale commercial products. Computational accelerators within data centers and other future applications will require significant improvements in circuit density, complexity, functional capability, memory capacity, and data rates in and out of the cryogenic environment. As a first step, we propose to develop an application-driven roadmap for superconducting digital computing that will include key decisions to be made by the superconductor electronics community.

DOI
10.1109/isec.2017.8314240

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The International Roadmap for Devices and Systems (IRDS) recently succeeded the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS). The roadmap driver changed from scaling physical dimensions to application requirements and now includes a broader range of non-semiconductor technologies, such as superconductor electronics (SCE). We review current applications for SCE, ranging from development activities to small- scale commercial products. Computational accelerators within data centers and other future applications will require significant improvements in circuit density, complexity, functional capability, memory capacity, and data rates in and out of the cryogenic environment. As a first step, we propose to develop an application-driven roadmap for superconducting digital computing that will include key decisions to be made by the superconductor electronics community.
Interface circuits are the key components that enable the hybrid integration of superconductor and semiconductor digital electronics. The design requirements of superconductor-semiconductor interface circuits vary depending on the application, such as high-performance classical computing, superconducting quantum computing, and digital signal processing. In this survey, various interface circuits are categorized based on the working principle and structure. The superconducting output drivers are explored, which are capable of converting and amplifying, e.g., single flux quantum (SFQ) voltage pulses, to voltage levels that semiconductor circuits can process. Several trade-offs between circuit- and system-level design parameters are examined. Accordingly, parameters such as the data rate, output voltage, power dissipation, layout area, thermal/heat load of cryogenic cables, and bit-error rate are considered.
Summary form only given. Superconducting computing has recently emerged as a potential solution for energy-efficient, large-scale computing. Problems in large-scale computing are reviewed. Superconducting computing is significantly different from conventional technologies and required a feasibility study [1] to evaluate its potential. Concepts were investigated for computing systems capable of performance in the range from 1 to 1000 PFLOP/s. The concept systems were constrained to use existing commercial cryogenic refrigerators and Nb superconducting technology. Superconducting computing was shown to be potentially competitive on the basis of power and energy efficiency if key component technologies can meet specific goals. Challenges for superconducting computing are reviewed. One challenge is that saving significant energy requires large-scale systems due to the requirement for cryogenic refrigeration, but superconducting computing is a technology in its infancy. For example, in 2010 there were a very few foundries for superconducting electronic circuits and only one with very limited access was processing 200 mm wafers. There were also few superconducting digital circuit designers and the electronic design automation (EDA) toolchain could only support development of circuits with a few thousand elements. These challenges are shared with several other alternative technologies being developed for energy-efficient computing. The IARPA Cryogenic Computing Complexity (C3) program is in the process of developing superconducting computing technologies for large-scale applications.
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.
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It has been nearly 110 years since the discovery of superconductors, and more than 30 years since the discovery of high temperature superconductors (HTS). Great progress has been made in the application of superconducting electronics in the last two decades. HTS microwave devices have shown much higher perfomance than the traditional ones and have found their ways to the industry applications in mobile communication, radar, and special communication applications. Owing to the ultrahigh sensitivity to magnetic fields and currents, superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) have been used as the irresplacible sensors in geological surveying, magnetic resonanc imaging, biomagnetic imaging, and other areas. The sensitivity of superconducting radiation detectors such as superconducting SIS mixer, superconducting hot electron bolometer, superconducting transition edge sensor, superconducting nanowire single photon detector, and superconducting microwave kinetic inductance detector are near the quantum limitation. They are now key technology in geophysics, astrophysics, quantum information science, biomedicine, and so on. Superconducting Josephson parametric amplifier has become a key element for superconducting quantum computing. Superconducting integrated circuit has been included in the international roadmap for devices and systems, and shows that having the potential to become one of the mainstreams for post-Moore information processing technology. In metrology, superconducting Josephson effect and Josephson junction array devices have been widely used in the redefinition of quantum voltage reference and basic units of the International system of Units. Superconducting electronics plays an important role in the current quantum information technology boom, which in turn promotes the development of superconducting electronics. This review will brief introduce the research and application of superconducting electronics in China in recent years.