US-12622180-B2 - Bias-level sensors for reciprocal quantum logic

US12622180B2US 12622180 B2US12622180 B2US 12622180B2US-12622180-B2

Abstract

Reciprocal quantum logic (RQL) bias-level sensors are fabricated on an RQL integrated circuit (IC) to sample AC or DC bias values provided to operational RQL circuitry on the RQL IC. The bias-level sensors, or samplers, include Josephson transmission lines (JTLs) or logic gates having strengthened or weakened bias taps as compared to bias taps of JTLs or logic gates in the operational RQL circuitry. Sampler JTLs or logic gates with weakened bias taps to AC clock resonators can have lower limits of their operational ranges placed near an optimal bias point at the centroid of the operating region of the operational RQL circuitry. Staging relative strengths of the bias taps of the samplers in an ensemble of samplers allows for outputs of wrapper circuitry to be indicative of whether a provided bias value is an improvement or optimization of the bias value when varied over a range.

Inventors

Max E. Nielsen
Alexander Louis Braun
Daniel George Dosch
Kurt Pleim
Haitao O. Dai
Charles R. Wallace

Assignees

Max E. Nielsen
Alexander Louis Braun
Daniel George Dosch
Kurt Pleim
Haitao O. Dai
Charles R. Wallace

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20220504

Claims (20)

1 . A reciprocal quantum logic (RQL) system comprising: an RQL integrated circuit (IC) comprising: operational RQL circuitry configured to perform one or more computational functions, the operational RQL circuitry comprising a first Josephson transmission line (JTL) or logic gate inductively coupled to a bias signal source via a first bias tap to provide biasing to the first JTL or logic gate; and bias-level sensing circuitry configured to sense one or more parameters of bias signals provided to the operational RQL circuitry, the bias-level sensing circuitry comprising a second JTL or logic gate inductively coupled to the bias signal source via a second bias tap to provide biasing to the second JTL or logic gate, wherein the coupling to the bias signal source of the second JTL or logic gate differs in strength relative to the coupling to the bias signal source of the first JTL or logic gate.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein a self-inductance of a network that couples the second JTL or logic gate to mutual inductances of the second bias tap is larger than a self-inductance of a network that inductively couples the first JTL or logic gate to mutual inductances of the first bias tap, such that the second JTL or logic gate is more weakly coupled to the bias signal source than the first JTL or logic gate.
3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein a lower AC bias amplitude limit of an operating range of the second JTL or logic gate is at about a centroid of an operating range of the first JTL or logic gate.
4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the bias-level sensing circuitry comprises an RQL scan register comprising: an input line comprising a first plurality of JTLs; an output line comprising a second plurality of JTLs; and a plurality of bias-level sensors coupled in parallel with each other between the input line and the output line, a first of the bias-level sensors comprising the second JTL or logic gate.
5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein each of the bias-level sensors in the bias-level sensing circuitry is transformer-coupled to an AC clock resonator or DC bias line of the RQL IC at a respective different location along the AC clock resonator or DC bias line.
6 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the first of the bias-level sensors is configured to have different AC or DC operating margins from a second of the bias-level sensors, and a third of the bias-level sensors is configured to have different AC or DC operating margins from both of the first bias-level sensor and the second bias-level sensor.
7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein a self-inductance of a network that couples a JTL or logic gate of the second of the bias-level sensors to mutual inductances of a third bias tap is larger than the self-inductance of the network that couples the second JTL or logic gate to the mutual inductances of the second bias tap, and a self-inductance of a network that couples a JTL or logic gate of the third of the bias-level sensors to mutual inductances of a fourth bias tap is larger than the self-inductance of a network that couples the JTL or logic gate of the second of the bias-level sensors to the mutual inductances of the third bias tap.
8 . The system of claim 4 , wherein at least one of the bias-level sensors comprises at least four JTLs and/or logic gates coupled directly in series with each other, the at least four JTLs and/or logic gates being transformer-coupled to the same AC clock resonator of the RQL IC, such that the at least four JTLs and/or logic gates are driven by the same phase AC clock, wherein each of the at least four series-coupled JTLs and/or logic gates is coupled to mutual inductances of a respective bias tap via a respective network having a respective self-inductance that is larger than the self-inductance of the network that couples the first JTL or logic gate to the mutual inductances of the first bias tap.
9 . The system of claim 4 , wherein at least one of the bias-level sensors comprises: a first set of JTLs and/or logic gates coupled directly in series with each other, the JTLs and/or logic gates of the first set driven by a 0° phase AC clock; in series with the first set of four JTLs and/or logic gates, a second set of at least four JTLs and/or logic gates coupled directly in series with each other, the at least four JTLs and/or logic gates of the second set driven by a 90° phase AC clock; in series with the first and second sets of JTLs and/or logic gates, a third set of JTLs and/or logic gates coupled directly in series with each other, the JTLs and/or logic gates of the third set driven by a 180° phase AC clock; and in series with the first, second, and third sets of JTLs and/or logic gates, a fourth set of JTLs and/or logic gates coupled directly in series with each other, the JTLs and/or logic gates of the fourth set driven by a 270° phase AC clock, wherein each of the at least four JTLs and/or logic gates of the second set are coupled to respective mutual inductances of respective bias taps via respective networks each having a respective self-inductance that is larger than the self-inductance of the network that couples the first JTL or logic gate to the mutual inductances of the first bias tap.
10 . The system of claim 4 , wherein at least one of the bias-level sensors comprises: a first set of JTLs and/or logic gates coupled directly in series with each other, the JTLs and/or logic gates of the first set driven by a 0° phase AC clock; in series with the first set of JTLs and/or logic gates, a second set of JTLs and/or logic gates coupled directly in series with each other, the JTLs and/or logic gates of the second set driven by a 90° phase AC clock; in series with the first and second sets of JTLs and/or logic gates, a third set of at least four JTLs and/or logic gates coupled directly in series with each other, the at least four JTLs and/or logic gates of the third set being driven by a 180° phase AC clock; and in series with the first, second, and third sets of JTLs and/or logic gates, a fourth set of JTLs and/or logic gates coupled directly in series with each other, the JTLs and/or logic gates of the fourth set being driven by a 270° phase AC clock, wherein each of the at least four JTLs and/or logic gates of the third set are coupled to respective mutual inductances of respective bias taps via respective networks each having a respective self-inductance that is larger than the self-inductance of the network that couples the first JTL or logic gate to the mutual inductances of the first bias tap.
11 . The system of claim 4 , wherein at least one of the bias-level sensors comprises: a first set of at least four JTLs and/or logic gates coupled directly in series with each other, the at least four JTLs and/or logic gates of the first set being driven by a 180° phase AC clock; in series with the first set of JTLs and/or logic gates, a second set of JTLs and/or logic gates coupled directly in series with each other, the JTLs and/or logic gates of the second set being driven by a 270° phase AC clock; wherein each of the at least four JTLs and/or logic gates of the first set are coupled to respective mutual inductances of respective bias taps via respective networks each having a respective self-inductance that is larger than the self-inductance of the network that couples the first JTL or logic gate to the mutual inductances of the first bias tap.
12 . The system of claim 4 , wherein at least one of the bias-level sensors comprises: a first set of at least four JTLs and/or logic gates coupled directly in series with each other, the at least four JTLs and/or logic gates of the first set being driven by a 45° phase AC clock; in series with the first set of at least four JTLs and/or logic gates, a second set of at least four JTLs and/or logic gates coupled directly in series with each other, the at least four JTLs and/or logic gates of the second set being driven by a 135° phase AC clock; in series with the first and second sets of at least four JTLs and/or logic gates, a third set of at least four JTLs and/or logic gates coupled directly in series with each other, the at least four JTLs and/or logic gates of the third set being driven by a 225° phase AC clock; and in series with the first, second, and third sets of at least four JTLs and/or logic gates, a fourth set of at least four JTLs and/or logic gates coupled directly in series with each other, the at least four JTLs and/or logic gates of the fourth set being driven by a 315° phase AC clock, wherein each of the at least four JTLs and/or logic gates of the first, second, third, and fourth sets are coupled to respective mutual inductances of respective bias taps via respective networks each having a respective self-inductance that is larger than the self-inductance of the network that couples the first JTL or logic gate to the mutual inductances of the first bias tap.
13 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the bias-level sensing circuitry comprises a ring oscillator comprising a plurality of bias-level sensors coupled in series with each other in a ring, at least one of the bias-level sensors comprising the second JTL or logic gate.
14 . A method of calibrating bias signals provided to operational reciprocal quantum logic (RQL) circuitry in an RQL integrated circuit (IC), the method comprising: inputting a sample signal to RQL AC bias sampler wrapper circuitry comprising a plurality of RQL AC bias samplers, more than one of the plurality of AC bias samplers comprising at least one Josephson transmission line (JTL) or logic gate coupled to mutual inductances of a first bias tap via a first network having a self-inductance that is larger than a self-inductance of a second network that couples a JTL or logic gate in the operational RQL circuitry to mutual inductances of a second bias tap; observing an output of the AC bias sampler wrapper circuitry; varying an amplitude of an AC clock signal provided to the operational RQL circuitry via the AC clock resonator; and determining that the varying the amplitude of the AC clock signal has moved the amplitude of the AC clock signal closer to an optimal bias point of the operational RQL circuitry.
15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising, after the determining that the varying the amplitude of the AC clock signal has moved the amplitude of the AC clock signal closer to the optimal bias point of the operational RQL circuitry: inputting a sample signal to RQL DC bias sampler wrapper circuitry comprising a plurality of RQL DC bias samplers, more than one of the plurality of DC bias samplers comprising at least one JTL or logic gate coupled to respective mutual inductances of respective bias taps via respective networks each having a respective self-inductance that is larger than the self-inductance of the second network; observing an output of the DC bias sampler wrapper circuitry; varying a value of a DC bias current provided to the operational RQL circuitry via the DC bias line; and determining that the varying the value of the DC bias current has moved the value of the DC bias current closer to the optimal bias point of the operational RQL circuitry.
16 . Reciprocal quantum logic (RQL) superconducting bias-level sensing circuitry for sensing bias levels provided to operational RQL circuitry of an RQL integrated circuit (IC), the bias-level sensing circuitry comprising a plurality of bias-level sensors each comprising a Josephson transmission line (JTL) or logic gate coupled to respective mutual inductances of a respective bias tap via a respective network having a respective self-inductance that is larger or smaller than a self-inductance of a network that couples a JTL or logic gate in the operational RQL circuitry to mutual inductances of a bias tap in the operational RQL circuitry.
17 . The bias-level sensing circuitry of claim 16 , wherein at least some of the plurality of bias-level sensors are AC bias-level sensors each comprising a respective JTL or logic gate with a respective bias tap to an AC clock resonator of the RQL IC, the respective bias tap being weaker or stronger than an AC bias tap of the JTL or logic gate in the operational RQL circuitry.
18 . The bias-level sensing circuitry of claim 17 , wherein at least some of the bias-level sensors are DC bias-level sensors each comprising a JTL or logic gate with a transformer coupling, to a DC bias line, of the RQL IC that is weaker or stronger than a transformer coupling, to the DC bias line, of the JTL or logic gate in the operational RQL circuitry.
19 . The bias-level sensing circuitry of claim 17 , wherein at least one of the AC bias-level sensors is a phase-specific AC bias-level sensor having an output that is either: sensitive to an AC amplitude of a Q clock signal provided on a Q clock resonator and insensitive to an AC amplitude of an I clock signal provided on an I clock resonator, or sensitive to the AC amplitude of the I clock signal provided on the I clock resonator and insensitive to the AC amplitude of the Q clock signal provided on the Q clock resonator.
20 . The bias-level sensing circuitry of claim 16 , wherein at least one of the bias-level sensors is a phase sampler that is driven by both a Q clock signal provided on a Q clock resonator and an I clock signal provided on an I clock resonator, the I clock signal and the Q clock signal having a phase difference between them, wherein a lower limit of an AC operating range of the phase sampler is at a minimum when the phase difference between the I clock signal and the Q clock signal is 90°.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD This disclosure relates generally to superconducting circuits, and specifically to bias-level sensors for reciprocal quantum logic. BACKGROUND In the field of digital logic, extensive use is made of well-known and highly developed complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology. As CMOS has begun to approach maturity as a technology, there is an interest in alternatives that may lead to higher performance in terms of speed, power dissipation, computational density, and interconnect bandwidth. As an alternative to CMOS technology, single flux quantum (SFQ) circuitry utilizes superconducting Josephson junctions (JJs), with typical signal power of about 4 nanowatts (nW), at a typical data rate of 20 gigabits per second (Gb/s) or greater, and operating temperatures of around 4 kelvins. The family of SFQ circuitry known as reciprocal quantum logic (RQL) uses one or more resonator networks and/or bias lines to distribute one or more biasing signals. Bias signals serve to bias JJs in the logic gates of the RQL circuitry and the Josephson transmission lines (JTLs) that can be found within the gates of the RQL circuitry or as connecting lines between the gates to propagate SFQ signals within the RQL circuitry. AC bias signals can serve as one or more global clock signals that can help to eliminate clock jitter as may be exhibited by predecessor superconducting circuitry technologies such as rapid single flux quantum (RSFQ) logic. For example, RQL can make use of a multiphase clock having an in-phase (I) clock signal and a quadrature (Q) clock signal that is about 90° out of phase with the I clock signal. SUMMARY An example RQL system includes an RQL integrated circuit (IC) having operational RQL circuitry and bias-level sensing circuitry. The operational RQL circuitry, which is configured to perform one or more computational functions, includes a first JTL or logic gate inductively coupled to a bias signal source via a first bias tap to provide biasing to the first JTL or logic gate. The bias-level sensing circuitry, which is configured to sense one or more parameters of bias signals provided to the operational RQL circuitry, includes a second JTL or logic gate inductively coupled to the bias signal source via a second bias tap to provide biasing to the second JTL or logic gate. The coupling to the bias signal source of the second JTL or logic gate differs in strength relative to the coupling to the bias signal source of the first JTL or logic gate. An example method of calibrating bias signals provided to operational RQL circuitry in an RQL IC includes inputting a sample signal to RQL AC bias sampler wrapper circuitry. The wrapper circuitry includes a plurality of RQL AC bias samplers. More than one of the plurality of AC bias samplers includes at least one JTL or logic gate coupled to mutual inductances of a first bias tap via a first network having a self-inductance that is larger than a self-inductance of a second network that couples a JTL or logic gate in the operational RQL circuitry to mutual inductances of a second bias tap. An output of the AC bias sampler wrapper circuitry is observed. An amplitude of an AC clock signal provided to the operational RQL circuitry via the AC clock resonator is varied. It is then determined that the varying the amplitude of the AC clock signal has moved the amplitude of the AC clock signal closer to an optimal bias point of the operational RQL circuitry. The method can continue by inputting a sample signal to RQL DC bias sampler wrapper circuitry comprising a plurality of RQL DC bias samplers. More than one of the plurality of DC bias samplers has at least one JTL or logic gate coupled to respective mutual inductances of respective bias taps via respective networks each having a respective self-inductance that is larger than the self-inductance of the second network. An output of the DC bias sampler wrapper circuitry can then be observed. A value of a DC bias current provided to the operational RQL circuitry via the DC bias line can be varied. It can then be determined the varying the value of the DC bias current has moved the value of the DC bias current closer to the optimal bias point of the operational RQL circuitry. In another example, RQL superconducting bias-level sensing circuitry permits for sensing bias levels provided to operational RQL circuitry of an RQL IC. The bias-level sensing circuitry includes a plurality of bias-level sensors. Each of the bias-level sensors includes a JTL or logic gate coupled to respective mutual inductances of a respective bias tap via a respective network having a respective self-inductance that is larger or smaller than a self-inductance of a network that couples a JTL or logic gate in the operational RQL circuitry to mutual inductances of a bias tap in the operational RQL circuitry. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is block diagram of an example RQL bias level sensing and adjustment system. FIG. 2A is