A 4-bit×4-bit multiplier and 3-bit counter in Josephson threshold logic

A fast Josephson circuit using a threshold logic is developed for application to a multiplier and a binary counter. The former is a typical combinational circuit and the latter is a typical sequential circuit. The junction and barrier materials used were Nb-AlO/SUB X/-Nb. An optimized asymmetric two-junction interferometer maximized the operating margin of the threshold gate. A speed-up junction was introduced to decrease the switching delay without sacrificing the operating margin. A dumping resistor, which was inserted parallel to the input signal line of the threshold gate between its two terminals, decreased the reflection of the input signal caused by the gate inductance, thereby ensuring the margin and speed. To demonstrate the high-speed possibility of the Josephson threshold logic, a high-speed experiment for the circuits was performed. The multiplier demonstrated 210-ps operation.