Title :
Superconducting digital electronics
Author :
Hayakawa, Hisao ; Yoshikawa, Nobuyuki ; Yorozu, Shinichi ; Fujimaki, Akira
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Quantum Eng., Nagoya Univ., Japan
Abstract :
Single-flux quantum logic (SFQ) circuits, in which a flux quantum is used as an information carrier, have the possibility for opening the door to a new digital system operated at over 100-GHz clock frequency at extremely low power dissipation. The SFQ logic system is a so-called pulse logic, which is completely different from the level logic for semiconductors like CMOS, so circuit design technologies for SFQ logic circuits have to be newly developed. Recently, much progress in basic technologies for designing SFQ circuits and operating circuits at high speeds has been made. With advances in these design tools, large-scale circuits including more than several thousand junctions can be easily operated with the clock frequency of more than several tens of gigahertz. High-end routers and high-end computers are possible applications of SFQ logic circuits because of their high throughput nature and the low power dissipation of SFQ logic. In this paper, recent advances of SFQ circuit design technologies and recent developments of switches for high-end routers and microprocessors for high-end computers that are considered possible applications for SFQ logic will be described.
Keywords :
integrated logic circuits; quantum gates; superconducting logic circuits; superconducting switches; SFQ logic circuits; circuit design; digital system; high end computers; high end routers; large scale circuits; microprocessor; power dissipation; pulse logic; single-flux quantum logic circuit; superconducting digital electronics; switches; Application software; CMOS logic circuits; CMOS technology; Circuit synthesis; Clocks; Frequency; Logic circuits; Logic design; Power dissipation; Superconducting logic circuits; Digital applications; SFQ; high-end computer; high-end router; logics; single-flux quantum; superconductor;
Journal_Title :
Proceedings of the IEEE
DOI :
10.1109/JPROC.2004.833658