SFQ bias for SFQ digital circuits

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel AC biasing scheme for RSFQ superconducting digital circuits, utilizing flux quantum-based power delivery to improve energy efficiency and scalability in superconductor electronics.

Contribution

The work proposes and demonstrates a new AC biasing method using flux quanta, reducing parasitic effects and enhancing energy efficiency in large-scale superconducting circuits.

Findings

AC/SFQ converter successfully powers payload circuits

Flux quantization improves current control and energy efficiency

Fabricated circuits validate the proposed biasing scheme

Abstract

Superconductor electronics fabrication technology developed at MIT Lincoln Laboratory enables the development of VLSI digital circuits with millions of Josephson junctions per square centimeter. However, conventional DC and multi-phase AC biasing techniques already encounter serious challenges for scaling circuits above several hundred thousand junctions. In this work, we propose a novel AC-based biasing scheme for RSFQ-type logic families requiring DC bias. The major step toward this scheme is a superconducting AC/DC rectifier which we introduced at ASC 2014. Initially, we proposed to connect the rectifiers to 'payload cells' via superconducting inductors with large inductance in order to reduce parasitic effects of flux quantization. Recently, we discovered that this powering scheme works even better at a much lower value of the inductance, when it is just sufficient to hold only one or two flux quanta in the inductive loop between the converter and the payload. In this case, flux quantization in the loop becomes beneficial because the value of current fed into the payload is defined by the value of the coupling inductance. Therefore, our AC/SFQ converter powers the payload cell by a single flux quantum rather than by DC current. Such mode of operation is extremely energy efficient because the energy is used only to recover flux quantum consumed by the cell during the logic operation. We present designs of AC/SFQ converters comprising an AC/DC rectifier and a current conditioning circuit which we termed an SFQ filter. We also present test results and demonstrate AC/SFQ powering a payload circuit using circuits fabricated in a new, 150-nm node of Lincoln Laboratory fabrication technology using self-shunted Nb/AlOx-Al/Nb Josephson junctions with 600 $\mu$A/$\mu$$m^2$ critical current density and 200 nm minimum linewidth of inductors.