Quantum flux parametron (QFP) shift registers clocked by an inductive power distribution network and errorless operation of the QFP

The authors present 4- and 12-b shift registers capable of operating from DC up to 8.56 and 4.24 GHz, respectively. These circuits´ total on-chip power dissipation is estimated to be roughly 10 nW. A novel clock current distribution network permits such high clock frequency and such low on-chip power dissipation. The clock is applied as a standing wave and is distributed by inductive division. With this clock current distribution scheme, no power is dissipated along the clock lines. In spite of the circuits´ low output amplitude (tens of microvolts) and of the large crosstalk with the clock frequency, the output waveforms are captured in time domain at microwave frequencies. Also, for the 12-b device, 10/sup 15/ error free operations per quantum flux parametron (QFP) are demonstrated. Finally, the 12-b shift register is the largest QFP circuit reported to date; it is composed of 48 QFPs and one DC SQUID.<>