Meissner Effect Transistor & Orbiting Astronomical Satellite for Investigating Stellar Systems

Abstract

The Meissner Effect Transistor (MET) is a new device concept with the potential of revolutionizing high-speed computing and communication systems. Essentially all radios, telephones, and computers utilize conventional semiconductor transistors. The operation of conventional transistors is based on modulating the conductivity within a semiconductor by the application of an electric field. The speed and complexity of semiconductor transistor networks is limited by the mobility of charge carriers and the subsequent heat produced within the substrate. The MET has a complementary device architecture within which the conductivity of a superconducting bridge is modulated by an applied magnetic field by way of the Meissner Effect. The speed of an MET is only limited by the recombination time of Cooper pairs within the superconductor. Being a superconductor, there is no Ohmic heating to limit the density to which METs can be packed, potentially allowing the realization of far more powerful CPUs than is currently possible. The speed of the MET also holds the potential of enabling the realization of terahertz amplifiers and oscillators for use in ultra-wideband communication systems1.In this body of work, an analytical model is developed using superconductor theory and a Field Effect Transistor (FET) small signal model. The upper cut-off frequency of MET is derived by determining Cooper pair relaxation time. The noise model is determined by defining noise parameters based on FET equivalent small signal circuit. An analytical model, simulation results, and typical parameters of superconducting bridge are then used to derive theoretical magnetic amplification, followed by detailed discussion on design, and fabrication of test setup, and results. The Orbiting Astronomical Satellite for Investigating Stellar Systems (OASIS) is a proposed space telescope with a 14 m inflatable primary reflector that will perform high spectral resolution observations at terahertz frequencies with heterodyne receivers. The telescope consists of an inflatable metallized polymer membrane that serves as the primary antenna, followed by aberration correction optics, and a scanner that enables a 0.1 degrees Field of View while achieving diffraction limited performance over a wavelength range from 63 to 660 μm. This work covers the optical design of the telescope, parametric analysis of solution space, and metrological solutions for characterizing the surface profile of inflatable membrane optics. Terahertz receiver systems, receiver architecture and optical design are also discussed.