Superconducting electronics: current status and future prospects

Abstract Superconducting electronics can provide devices and circuits with properties not obtainable for any other known technology; i.e. very low loss, zero frequency-dispersion signal transmission lines, very high Q -value resonators and filters, and quantum limited electromagnetic sensors for radiation from d.c. through the millimetre wave region and into the infrared. The impact of the newly discovered high temperature superconducting materials with transition temperatures in excess of 90 K could revolutionize electronic technology as it would bring these very interesting properties and device behaviour to an operating temperature where: 1, refrigeration requirements are greatly reduced; and 2, where hybrid semiconductor-superconductor circuits can be built which make use of the best features of each technology. In addition, new phenomena might be discovered in these new materials which could impact electronic technology.

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