Superconducting analog-to-digital converter with a triple-junction reversible flip-flop bidirectional counter
A high-performance superconducting analog-to-digital converter is described, comprising: a bidirectional binary counter having n stages of triple-junction reversible flip-flops connected together in a cascade arrangement from the least significant bit (LSB) to the most significant bit (MSB) where n is the number of bits of the digital output, each triple-junction reversible flip-flop including first, second and third shunted Josephson tunnel junctions and a superconducting inductor connected in a bridge circuit, the Josephson junctions and the inductor forming upper and lower portions of the flip-flop, each reversible flip-flop being a bistable logic circuit in which the direction of the circulating current determines the state of the circuit; and means for applying an analog input current to the bidirectional counter; wherein the bidirectional counter algebraically counts incremental changes in the analog input current, increasing the binary count for positive incremental changes in the analog current and decreasing the binary count for negative incremental changes in the current, and wherein the counter does not require a gate bias, thus minimizing power dissipation.
- Assignee:
- TRW Inc., Redondo Beach, CA (United States)
- Patent Number(s):
- US 5227792; A
- Application Number:
- PPN: US 7-813731
- OSTI ID:
- 7368938
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: 27 Dec 1991
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ANALOG-TO-DIGITAL CONVERTERS
DESIGN
SUPERCONDUCTING DEVICES
JOSEPHSON JUNCTIONS
LOGIC CIRCUITS
PERFORMANCE
POWER LOSSES
ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
ENERGY LOSSES
EQUIPMENT
JUNCTIONS
LOSSES
SUPERCONDUCTING JUNCTIONS
426000* - Engineering- Components
Electron Devices & Circuits- (1990-)
665412 - Superconducting Devices- (1992-)