Superconductivity: The Ultimate Electronic Technology

Abstract

The unique properties of the superconducting state can provide an electronic technology with properties not obtainable from any other known technology. Superconducting electronic devices and circuits can exhibit very low loss, zero frequency-dispersion signal transmission, very high Q-value resonators and filters and quantum limited electromagnetic sensors for radiation from dc through the millimeter wave region and into the visible and ultra-violet region. Very high performance signal and data processing systems of interest to both the military and civilian communities can be built using this technology. The impact of the newly discovered high temperature superconducting materials can revolutionize electronic technology as it would bring these very interesting properties and device behavior to an operating temperature where (a) 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.