Superconducting non-linear device

Abstract

A superconducting non-linear device comprising a superconducting conductor, a current source associated with the conductor for applying to the conductor a bias current, and a control device associated with the current source for selectably varying the bias current between a first value below the critical current for the conductor means and a second value above the critical current. The non-linear device is a switching device comprising a switching element in the form of a superconducting film, a terminal for inputting a signal to the switching element, a terminal for outputting a signal from the switching element, and a circuit for applying a DC bias current to the switching element and for causing the DC bias current to vary between a first value below the critical current for the superconducting film and a second value above the critical current. The non-linear device is a square-law detector device comprising a thin-film superconductor, a terminal for coupling an RF signal to be detected to an input zone of the superconductor, a circuit for applying a DC bias current to the superconductor, the bias current being of a value to constrain the superconductor to operate in the quadratic portion of its resistance-current operating characteristic, and a circuit for obtaining a detected output signal from an output zone of the superconductor.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.