GB1241097A - Superconductor switch devices - Google Patents

Abstract

1,241,097. Superconductor devices. SIEMENS A.G. 11 March, 1969 [12 March, 1968], No. 12858/69. Heading H1K. The gate conductor of a cryotron comprises a plurality of elongate portions arranged side-byside and joined at their ends to form a meandering path so that the load current flows in opposite directions in adjacent elongate portions, each of which comprises a layer of superconductor material provided on the exterior surface of a rod-like electrically insulating substrate. As shown, Fig. 1, a high power cryotron comprises a plurality of insulating cylinders 2 supporting meandering gate conductors in the form of straight sections 1 joined by bridges 3. Each straight section 1 comprises a layer 11 of superconductor material provided on the surface of a substrate in the form of a tube 10, Fig. 2. The superconductor layer may be divided into a plurality of parallel strips (12) extending parallel to the axis of the tube (10), Fig. 3 (not shown). The gate conductors on adjacent cylinders (2) may be screened from one another by means of parallel axially extending strips (15) of superconductor material provided on the inner faces of the cylinders, Fig. 4a (not shown). The control conductor may be in the form of a layer of superconductor material 17 on the surface of an insulating tube 18 or rod arranged coaxially within the gate conductor substrate tube 10, Fig. 2. Alternatively, control conductor windings 16 may be arranged between the support cylinders, Fig. 1, in which case screening layers (15) may be omitted. In a second embodiment, Fig. 5, the gate conductor 20 is provided in a meandering path on the surface of a plastics plate 21. The plate may be hollow and have holes adjacent to the conductor 20 so that coolant may be supplied to the immediate vicinity of the gate conductor. A plurality of such plates may be stacked to form a high power cryotron. The substrate for the superconductor layer may be of glass, porcelain, or plastics, or of metal with an insulating coating, e.g. lacquer The superconductor material may be Pb or Nb