We present two types of ICF (INHIBIT Controlled by Fluxon) gates as the basic circuits of the phase-mode logic family, and fabricate an adder circuit. The experimental result demonstrates that the carry operation followed up to 99 GHz input pulses. The performance of Josephson devices is improved by the use of junctions with high current density (Jc). We may use the high-Jc junctions without external resistive shunt in the phase-mode logic circuits because of reduction of the junction hysteresis. One of the ways to overcome the large area occupancy for geometric inductance is to utilize the effective inductance of a Josephson junction itself. We investigate a circuit construction with high-Jc inductor junctions, intrinsically overdumped junctions and junction-type resistors for the compactness of circuit integration, and discuss various aspects of the circuit construction.

A binary counter circuit in the extended phase-mode logic (EPL) family is presented. The EPL family utilizes a single flux quantum as an information bit carrier. Numerical simulations show that a binary counter circuit with a Josephson critical current density of 1 kA/cm2 can operate up to a 30 GHz input signal. The circuit has been fabricated using Nb/AlOx/Nb Josephson junction technology. New interface circuits are employed in the fabricated chip. A low speed test result shows the correct operation of the binary counter.

We present a superconducting neural network which functions as an RS flip-flop. We employ a coupled-SQUID as a neuron, which is a combination of a single-junction SQUID and a double-junction SQUID. A resistor is used as a fixed synapse. The network consists of two neurons and two synapses. The operation of the network is simulated under the junction current density of 100 kA/cm2. The result shows that the network is operated as an RS flip-flop with clock speed capability up to 50 GHz.

A polarity-convertible driver is necessary as a basic component of several Josephson random access memories. This driver must be able to inject a current having positive or negative polarity into a load transmission line such as a word or bit line of the RAM. In this paper, we propose a resistor coupled Josephson polarity-convertible driver which is highly sensitive to input signals and has a wide operating margin. The driver consists of several Josephson junctions and several resistors. The input signal is directly injected to the driver through the resistors. The circuit design is discussed on the operating principle of the driver. The driver is fabricated by 1.5 µm Nb technology with Nb/AlOx/Nb Josephson junctions, two layer Nb wirings, an Nb ground plane, Mo resistors, and SiO2 insulators. The Nb/AlOx/Nb Josephson junctions are fabricated using technology refined for sub-micron size junctions. The insulators between wirings are formed using bias sputtering technique to obtain good step coverage. The driver circuit size is 53 µm34 µm. Measurements are carried out at 10 kHz to quasistatically test the polarity-convertible function and the operating margin of the driver. Proper polarity-convertible operation is confirmed for a large operating bias margin of 70% at a fairly small input current of 0.3 mA.

The threshold characteristics of mutually coupled SQUIDs (Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices) have been analytically and numerically investigated. The mutually coupled SQUIDs investigated is composed of an rf-SQUID and a dc-SQUID. Here, the rf-SQUID is a flux quantum generator and the dc-SQUID is a flux detector. The linearization method substituting sin-1x by (π/2)x (1x1) is found valid when it is applied to the mutually coupled SQUIDs, because it is possible to obtain the superconducting regions analytically. By computer implementation of linearization method, we found this method is very effective and very quick compared to the ordinary methods. We report the internal flux on an rf-SQUID, the threshold of a dc-SQUID, and that of mutually coupled SQUIDs obtained by Lagrange multiplier formulation and linearization. The features of the threshold characteristics of the mutually coupled SQUIDs with various parameters are also reported. The discontinuous behavior of threshold of the mutually coupled SQUIDs are attractive for digital applications. We suggest three applications of the mutually coupled SQUIDs, that is, a logic gate for high-Tc superconductors (HTSs), a neuron device, and an A/D converter.

Sandwich-type Josephson junctions with the structure Bi2Sr2Ca1Cu2Ox/Bi2Sr2Cu1Oy/Bi2Sr2Ca1Cu2Oz (BSCCO/BSCO/BSCCO), have been fabricated and their characterstics determined. The BSCO barrier layer, which is characterized by a crystal structure close to that of the BSCCO electrode layer, is a normal conductor at 4.2 K. Superconductor/normal-conductor/superconductor (S/N/S) type current-voltage characteristics are obtained with these junctions. Distinctive Shapiro steps are observed when they are exposed to microwave radiation. An oscillating behavior of each step in their I-V characteristics are confirmed for increased microwave power. The critical current, Ic, is found to be proportional to (1-T/Tc)2 in the neighborhood of Tc. These results coincide with the ones observed with conventional S/N/S junctions.

The energy distribution and emission efficiency of electrons emitted from a superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) junction have been investigated by numerical calculation adopting the free electron model. The emission efficiency of an SIS junction cold cathode was found to be about 0.3% of tunneling current flowing to the SIS junction when the energy gap voltage of superconductor was 20 meV, the work function of counter electrode 1 eV, the bias voltage 0.96 V, the thickness of the counter electrode 100 , the electric field strength between the plate and the counter electrode 106 V/m, and the relaxation time 0.01 ps. It is clear that the SIS junction cold cathode can emit electrons with sharper energy distributions at much the same efficiency as compared with a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) junction cold cathode.

To realize a highly efficient small antenna, high-Tc superconductors are adopted to fabricate both a self-resonating helical radiator and a quarter-wave matching circuit. The actual gain and bandwidth measured at 478 MHz using a 1/45-wavelength radiator were respectively 1.5 dBi and 0.35%, indicating that this type of antenna has a high radiation efficiency and a fairly wide bandwidth. It is also confirmed through experiments and theoretical simulations that a decrease in the surface resistance of the radiator more effectively improves the radiation efficiency than a decrease in the surface resistance of the matching circuit.