Two-phase 50 GHz on-chip long Josephson junction clock source

Abstract

On-chip, high-frequency clock sources are essential for the future development of superconductor digital circuits and systems. We have developed clock sources for rapid single flux quantum (RSFQ) digital circuits using high-quality long Josephson junction (LJJ) resonant oscillators that offer extremely low jitter. To meet the requirement for time-interleaved clock signals of complementary phase, two-phase 30 and 50 GHz clock sources using LJJ's have been developed with both linear and annular geometry. Unperturbed by reflections from boundaries and collisions among the fluxons (flux quanta), the annular LJJ oscillator has demonstrated superior stability and higher quality factor (>10/sup 6/) than the linear LJJ oscillator. The LJJ oscillator with linear geometry is easier to interface with RSFQ circuitry since it has well-defined boundaries at either end, facilitating a two-phase clock source. On the other hand, multiple clock phases may be derived from an annular LJJ oscillator by connecting interface circuitry at various points around the circular junction, if the interface circuitry does not interfere with the fluxon(s) in the annular junction. Experimental results for two-phase RSFQ clock sources based on linear and annular LJJ oscillators are presented.