Digital and analog measurements of HTS SFQ RS flip-flops and shift register circuits

We fabricated reset-set (RS) flip-flops and shift registers by using YBCO bicrystal junctions and tested their operations by using a computer-controlled digital measurement set-up and an analog measurement set-up. The RS flip-flop circuits operated successfully at temperatures up to 71 K. The RS flip-flop circuit was observed over 600 computer-generated clock cycles with nearly no errors. The circuits were reset or set during each clock cycle. By using an analog measurement technique, we operated the RS flip-flop circuits at frequencies of up to 500 Hz. Since our probe was not designed for high speed operation, the test speed was limited to this frequency. Although we could not operate the shift register completely, we observed flux propagation in the shift register.