Digital superconductive electronics: where does it fit?
Fernand D. Bedard · Superconductor Science and Technology · 1997
Superconductivity has been pursuing the world of digital electronics ever since 1956. During all this time its supporters have emphasized the `obvious' advantages of `low power' and `unmatched device speed'. However, still no digital electronics product is in a system; silicon-based digital devices overwhelm all others in the applications world. This is true today, in spite of even faster superconductive devices and circuits as well as greatly reduced power. The major issues that must be faced and resolved in order to insert this immature technology into the market place are the following. (i) What is the problem for which we are the enabling solution? (ii) Is it important enough to warrant the `inconvenience' of cryogenics? (iii) Can we make the cryogenics `transparent' to the user? (iv) Can we interface to the ubiquitous room-temperature electronics? (v) At what size (chip count, MCM count) are we attractive? In spite of the customer reluctance, there are some very important niches which this technology can fit provided that we take lessons from those which support the silicon `master'. Magnetics (data storage), GaAs (optical communications) and optics (communications, storage) are all examples. These questions of system applications, examples of small- or large-scale uses and the problems to be solved will be discussed together with competing technology alternatives.