Ballistic reversible superconducting memory element
AssigneeNational Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC
InventorsMichael P. Frank, Erik Debenedictis
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A reversible memory element is provided. The reversible memory element comprises a reversible memory cell comprising a Josephson junction and a passive inductor. A ballistic interconnect is connected to the reversible memory cell by a bidirectional input/output port. A polarized input fluxon propagating along the ballistic interconnect exchanges polarity with a stationary stored fluxon in the reversible memory cell in response to the input fluxon reflecting off the reversible memory cell.
Claims21
A reversible memory element, comprising:
- a reversible memory cell, comprising:
- a Josephson junction, and
- a passive inductor connected to the Josephson junction such that the passive inductor and the Josephson junction form a loop;
- a ballistic interconnect;
- and
- a bidirectional input/output port connecting the reversible memory cell and ballistic interconnect, wherein terminals of the bidirectional input/output port are shunted across the Josephson junction and shunted across the passive inductor;
- wherein a polarized input fluxon propagating along the ballistic interconnect exchanges polarity with a stationary stored fluxon in the reversible memory cell in response to the input fluxon reflecting off the reversible memory cell.
A reversible memory element, comprising:
- a first Josephson junction, wherein the first Josephson junction comprises a long Josephson junction configured to ballistically propagate an input fluxon representing a single bit of polarized binary data;
- a reversible memory cell comprising a second Josephson junction and a passive inductor connected to the second Josephson junction such that the passive inductor and the second Josephson junction form a loop, wherein the reversible memory cell is configured to store a stationary fluxon representing a single bit of polarized binary data;
- a bidirectional input/output port connecting the first Josephson junction and the reversible memory cell, wherein terminals of the bidirectional input/output port are shunted across the second Josephson junction and shunted across the passive inductor;
- wherein the reversible memory cell is configured to exchange the single bit of polarized binary data represented by the input fluxon with the single bit of polarized binary data represented by the stored fluxon in response to the input fluxon reflecting off the reversible memory cell.
A method of reading and writing binary data with a superconducting reversible memory element, the method comprising:
- storing a stationary fluxon in a reversible memory cell comprising a Josephson junction and a passive inductor connected to the Josephson junction such that the passive inductor and the Josephson junction form a loop, wherein the stationary fluxon represents a single bit of polarized binary data, and wherein the reversible memory cell is connected to a bidirectional input/output port, wherein terminals of the bidirectional input/output port are shunted across the Josephson junction and shunted across the passive inductor;
- ballistically propagating an input fluxon along a transmission line connected to the bidirectional input/output port, wherein the input fluxon represents a single bit of polarized binary data;
- and
- exchanging the single bit of polarized binary data represented by the input fluxon with the single bit of polarized binary data represented by the stored fluxon in response to the input fluxon reflecting off the reversible memory cell.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.