Persistent current switch

An apparatus, comprising:

• a heating element;
• and
• a switch element located proximate to the heating element, the switch element being substantially formed from a material which exhibits a superconducting temperature value below a superconducting temperature value exhibited by a material used to form a connection element that provides a connection to the switch element;
• wherein the switch element is responsive to the heating element such that the heating element is used to control whether or not the switch element is in a superconducting state.

An integrated circuit, comprising:

• a substrate layer;
• a heating element layer formed on the substrate layer;
• and
• a switch element layer formed proximate to the heating element layer, the switch element layer being substantially formed from a material which exhibits a superconducting temperature value below a superconducting temperature value exhibited by a material used to provide a connection to the switch element;
• wherein the switch element layer is responsive to the heating element layer such that the heating element layer is used to control whether or not the switch element layer is in a superconducting state.

A method, comprising:

• applying a first current to a heating element located proximate to a substantially titanium-formed switch element such that the switch element is warmed above a superconducting transition temperature associated therewith;
• introducing a control signal such that the control signal flows substantially entirely through a coupling element operatively coupled to the switch element;
• and
• removing the first current applied to the heating element such that the switch element closes when the switch element cools below the superconducting transition temperature thereby allowing a second current to flow persistently through the switch element and the coupling device, and thus allowing an operating characteristic associated with a device operatively coupled to the coupling element to be maintained.

A design structure embodied in a machine readable medium, the design structure comprising:

• a heating element;
• and
• a switch element located proximate to the heating element, the switch element being substantially formed from a material which exhibits a superconducting temperature value below a superconducting temperature value exhibited by a material used to provide a connection to the switch element;
• wherein the switch element is responsive to the heating element such that the heating element is used to control whether or not the switch element is in a superconducting state.