Self-clocked complementary logic

• US 6,734,699 B1
• Filed: 07/14/1999
• Issued: 05/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Northrop Grumman Corporation
• Inventors: Silver, Arnold H., Herr, Quentin P.
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, TRONG Q
• Application Number:
  US09/353,726
• Time in Patent Office: 1,763 Days
• Field of Search: 326/1-7
• US Class Current: 326/1
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/1952 with electro-magnetic coupling of the control current

Abstract

A superconducting self-clocked complementary SFQ logic family. The basic element of the circuit is a plurality of Josephson junctions and a control inductance coupled across a pair of voltage rails. An important aspect of the invention relates to the use of voltage biasing for the Josephson junctions, which provides several benefits. First, voltage biasing eliminates the need for biasing resistors as used in constant current mode devices. Such biasing resistors are known to be the dominant source of power dissipation in such logic circuits. Elimination of the biasing resistors thus reduce the power dissipation to the lowest possible value to that of the power dissipation of the switching devices themselves. In addition, the voltage biasing takes advantage of the voltage to frequency relationship of Josephson junctions and automatically establishes a global clock at the Josephson frequency without the need for extra circuitry; thus increasing the practical clock rate. In addition, elimination of extra clock circuitry increases the potential circuit density. The logic superconducting digital logic family in accordance with the present invention includes devices which perform logic functions such as, AND, OR etc. as well as non-logic functions, such as a shift register function.

Claims

1. A superconducting logic circuit comprising:

one or more pairs of serially coupled Josephson junctions, each pair defining a node therebetween, each of said one or more pairs of said serially coupled Josephson junctions coupled a biasing source; and

one or more control inductors coupled between said nodes defining a logic cell, said logic cell configured to perform a predetermined logic function; and

a biasing source for biasing said Josephson junctions, said biasing source configured to cause said Josephson junction to be voltage biased.

2. The superconducting logic circuit as recited in claim 1, wherein said predetermined logic function is a shift register.

3. The superconducting logic circuit as recited in claim 1, wherein said predetermined logic function is an AND gate.

4. The superconducting logic circuit as recited in claim 1, wherein said predetermined logic function is an OR gate.

5. The superconducting logic circuit as recited in claim 1, wherein said predetermined logic function is a NOT gate.

6. The superconducting logic circuit as recited in claim 1, wherein said predetermined logic function is a HALF XOR gate.

7. The superconducting logic circuit as recited in claim 1, wherein said predetermined logic function is an integer adder.

8. The superconducting logic circuit as recited in claim 1 further including an inductor network and a DC current source for powering one rail of said pair of voltage rails.

9. The superconducting logic circuit as recited in claim 1 further including a pair of DC current sources and a resistor network;

configured such that one DC current source powers some of the stages and the other DC current source powers the balance of the stages.

10. The superconducting logic circuit as recited in claim 1, wherein said plurality of Josephson junctions is two.

11. The superconducting logic circuit is recited in claim 1, wherein said plurality of Josephson junctions is three.