Operation of Strings of Single Flux-Quantum Memory Cells using Josephson Junctions

Pierre Guéret

Pierre Guéret, Th. O. Mohr, A. Moser +1 more

Experimental and theoretical investigations have been carried out on strings with 98 series-connected memory cells with Josephson junctions. The cells store binary information in single flux quanta. These strings can be considered as basic building blocks of a memory array. Our results indicate that such arrays are feasible electrically.

Paul B. Welander, Doug Jeffers, Angus A. Rockett +2 more

Yehuda Y. Braiman, Niketh Nair, Jacob D. Rezac +1 more

Abstract In this paper we analyze a cryogenic memory cell circuit based on a small coupled array of Josephson junctions. All the basic memory operations (e.g., write, read, and reset) are implemented on the same circuit and different junctions in the array can in principle be utilized for these operations. The presented memory operation paradigm is fundamentally different from conventional single quantum flux operation logics (SFQ). As an example, we demonstrate memory operation driven by a SFQ pulse employing an inductively coupled array of three Josephson junctions. We have chosen realistic Josephson junction parameters based on state-of-the-art fabrication capabilities and have calculated access times and access energies for basic memory cell operations. We also implemented an optimization procedure based on the simulated annealing algorithm to calculate the optimized and typical values of access times and access energies.

Rosario Fazio, Yuriy Makhlin, Gerd Schön

Peter Wolf

The talk is based on an overview which was published recently (1). For this reason, only an abstract is given here, which includes Later results not contained in the aforementioned overview. The presently-known Josephson memory cells store information as persistent currents in superconducting loops, or what is equivalent as a magnetic flux in the area of the ring. This method of storage is nonvolatile and has no power consumption in the storing state. In a superconducting ring system, the magnetic flux is quantized, and cells have been built which operate either with only one flux quantum, or with many of them. For the Latter cells with many flux quanta (ring cells), quite a number of designs exist. They have one or two Josephson junctions in the ring, which allow writing. An external junction which is controlled by the ring current serves for non-destructive reading of the information. The smallest cell realized had an area of 900 ?m2 with a 2 ?m minimum line width. Switching speed was ? 80 ps. Cells which store information as a single-flux quantum (single flux-quantum cells = SFQ cells) in the ring, usually contain two Josephson junctions used for reading and writing. Read-out in most of these cells is destructive, but methods of reading non-destructively have also been proposed. The smallest device made had an area of ? 150 ?m2 with a minimum line width of 2 ?m. The read signal had a rise time ? 100 ps.