# US 12,119,820 B2 · Superconducting field-programmable gate array > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,119,820 B2 - Document ID: US12119820B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/387,402 - Filed: 2023-11-06 - Published: 2024-03-07 - Granted: 2024-10-15 - Earliest claimed: 2018-02-14 - Assignees: Psiquantum, Corp. - Applicants: PsiQuantum Corp. - Inventors: Faraz Najafi; Qiaodan Jin Stone - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12119820B2 ## CPC - G01J 1/42: using electric radiation detectors (optical or mechanical part G01J1/04; by comparison with a reference light or electric value G01J1/10) - H03K 19/195: using superconductive devices - G01J 1/44: Electric circuits {(for command of an exposure part G03B7/02)} - H10N 60/30: Devices switchable between superconducting and normal states - H10N 60/84: Switching means for devices switchable between superconducting and normal states - G01J 2001/442: {Single-photon detection or photon counting} - G01J: MEASUREMENT OF INTENSITY, VELOCITY, SPECTRAL CONTENT, POLARISATION, PHASE OR PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFRARED, VISIBLE OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT; COLORIMETRY; RADIATION PYROMETRY (light sources F21, H01J, H01K, H05B; investigating properties of materials by optical means G01N) - H03K: PULSE TECHNIQUE (measuring pulse characteristics G01R; modulating sinusoidal oscillations with pulses H03C; transmission of digital information H04L; discriminator circuits detecting phase difference between two signals by counting or integrating cycles of oscillation H03D3/04; automatic control, starting, synchronisation or stabilisation of generators of electronic oscillations or pulses where the type of generator is irrelevant or unspecified H03L; coding, decoding or code conversion, in general H03M) - H10N: ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract A programmable circuit includes a superconducting multi-dimensional array. The programmable circuit further includes a plurality of photon detectors coupled to respective portions of the superconducting multi-dimensional array, each photon detector configured to selectively provide input to a corresponding respective portion sufficient to transition the corresponding respective portion from a superconducting state to a non-superconducting state. The programmable circuit also includes one or more electrical terminals coupled to respective second portions of the superconducting multi-dimensional array. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A programmable circuit, comprising: a superconducting multi-dimensional array; a plurality of photon detectors coupled to respective portions of the superconducting multi-dimensional array, each photon detector configured to selectively provide input to a corresponding respective portion sufficient to transition the corresponding respective portion from a superconducting state to a non-superconducting state; and one or more electrical terminals coupled to respective second portions of the superconducting multi-dimensional array. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The programmable circuit of claim 1, wherein in a first configuration, the superconducting multi-dimensional array is configured to perform a logical operation. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The programmable circuit of claim 2, wherein in a second configuration, the superconducting multi-dimensional array is configured to perform an additional logical operation that is different from the logical operation of the first configuration. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The programmable circuit of claim 3, wherein the logical operation comprises one or more of: a logical AND operation; a logical OR operation; a majority gate operation; and an input counting operation. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The programmable circuit of claim 1, wherein the superconducting multi-dimensional array is a two-dimensional array. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The programmable circuit of claim 1, wherein the superconducting multi-dimensional array is patterned from a single thin film of superconducting material. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The programmable circuit of claim 1, further comprising a current source coupled to the superconducting multi-dimensional array, the current source configured to provide a current to the superconducting multi-dimensional array. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The programmable circuit of claim 7, wherein the current is adapted to maintain the superconducting multi-dimensional array in a superconducting state in the absence of a signal from the plurality of photon detectors. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The programmable circuit of claim 7, wherein the current source is further configured to reset the superconducting multi-dimensional array after the superconducting multi-dimensional array transitions to a non-superconducting state. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The programmable circuit of claim 1, wherein the plurality of photon detectors is electrically isolated from the superconducting multi-dimensional array. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The programmable circuit of claim 10, wherein the plurality of photon detectors are positioned adjacent to the respective portions of the superconducting multi-dimensional array. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The programmable circuit of claim 1, further comprising a readout circuit coupled to one of the one or more electrical terminals. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The programmable circuit of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of input components coupled to respective third portions of the superconducting multi-dimensional array, the plurality of input components configured to maintain the respective third portions in one or more steady states. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The programmable circuit of claim 13, wherein the plurality of input components comprise a plurality of semiconductor components. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The programmable circuit of claim 1, further comprising one or more reference nodes coupled to the one or more electrical terminals. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The programmable circuit of claim 1, wherein the respective portions of the superconducting multi-dimensional array each have a width ranging from 50 nanometers to 5 microns. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The programmable circuit of claim 1, wherein the respective portions of the superconducting multi-dimensional array each have a length ranging from 200 nanometers to 2 microns. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The programmable circuit of claim 1, wherein the superconducting multi-dimensional array includes a first number of columns and a second number of rows, wherein the first number is different than the second number. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The programmable circuit of claim 1, wherein a first set of columns of the superconducting multi-dimensional array have a first number of rows, and a second set of columns of the superconducting multi-dimensional array have a second number of rows, different from the first number.