Superconductive analog signal processing devices

Real-time signal processing is important in many emerging applications in areas such as pulse-compression radar, spread-spectrum communications, and electronic warfare. The required digitally equivalent computational rate for these applications is on the order of 10/sup 2/ arithmetic operations per second and the required instantaneous bandwidths could approach 10 GHz. These exceed by nearly three orders of magnitude the capabilities projected for digital systems in the near future, and even exceed that of recently developed analog technologies such as surface-acoustic-wave (SAW) signal-processing devices. To meet anticipated future system needs, superconductive analog signal-processing components with bandwidths of 2 GHz have recently been realized, and the technology is being developed for the realization of 10-GHz bandwidths. Issues of fabrication technology and subsystem integration are examined for superconductive analog signal-processing devices. >