Patents by Inventor JOSHUA A. STRONG

JOSHUA A. STRONG has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11809224
    Abstract: Topologies for interconnecting capacitive and inductive elements in a capacitively-coupled rib are described. An example relates to a resonant clock network (RCN) that resonates in response to both a first clock signal having a first phase and a second clock signal having a second phase. The RCN includes at least one rib coupled to at least one spine. The rib includes a first capacitive line configured to receive the first clock signal and provide, via a first capacitor, a first bias current to a first superconducting circuit. The rib further includes a second capacitive line configured to receive the second clock signal and provide, via a second capacitor, a second bias current to a second superconducting circuit. The rib further includes at least one inductive line configured to connect the first capacitive line with the second capacitive line forming a direct connection between the two capacitive lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Max Earl Nielsen, Joshua A. Strong, Jose M. Acevedo, Ian G. Thompson
  • Publication number: 20220328747
    Abstract: Circuits and methods related to temperature sensing of regions within a superconducting integrated circuit (IC) using in-situ resonators are described. An example relates to a superconducting IC including a first resonator having a first spatial location in relation to a floor plan of the superconducting IC. The superconducting IC further includes a second resonator having a second spatial location in relation to the floor plan of the superconducting IC. The superconducting IC further includes a feed line configured to provide a test signal to each of the first resonator and the second resonator in order to elicit a frequency response from the first resonator or the second resonator, where the frequency response is correlated with a first region within the superconducting IC corresponding to the first spatial location or with a second region within the superconducting IC corresponding to the second spatial location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2021
    Publication date: October 13, 2022
    Inventors: Flavio GRIGGIO, Richard P. ROUSE, Vladimir V. TALANOV, Cougar Alessandro Tomas GARCIA, Joshua A. STRONG
  • Publication number: 20220317722
    Abstract: Topologies for interconnecting capacitive and inductive elements in a capacitively-coupled rib are described. An example relates to a resonant clock network (RCN) that resonates in response to both a first clock signal having a first phase and a second clock signal having a second phase. The RCN includes at least one rib coupled to at least one spine. The rib includes a first capacitive line configured to receive the first clock signal and provide, via a first capacitor, a first bias current to a first superconducting circuit. The rib further includes a second capacitive line configured to receive the second clock signal and provide, via a second capacitor, a second bias current to a second superconducting circuit. The rib further includes at least one inductive line configured to connect the first capacitive line with the second capacitive line forming a direct connection between the two capacitive lines.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2021
    Publication date: October 6, 2022
    Inventors: Max Earl NIELSEN, Joshua A. STRONG, Jose M. ACEVEDO, Ian G. THOMPSON
  • Patent number: 11132017
    Abstract: One embodiment includes a clock distribution system. The system includes at least one resonator spine that propagates a clock signal and at least one resonator rib conductively coupled to the at least one resonator spine and being arranged as a standing wave resonator. At least one of the at least one resonator rib has a thickness that varies along a length of the respective one of the at least one resonator rib. The system also includes at least one transformer-coupling line. Each of the at least one transformer-coupling line can be conductively coupled to an associated circuit and being inductively coupled to the at least one resonator rib to inductively generate a clock current corresponding to the clock signal to provide functions for the associated circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: NORTHROP GRUMANN SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Joshua A. Strong, Max E. Nielsen
  • Publication number: 20210080995
    Abstract: One embodiment includes a clock distribution system. The system includes at least one resonator spine that propagates a clock signal and at least one resonator rib conductively coupled to the at least one resonator spine and being arranged as a standing wave resonator. At least one of the at least one resonator rib has a thickness that varies along a length of the respective one of the at least one resonator rib. The system also includes at least one transformer-coupling line. Each of the at least one transformer-coupling line can be conductively coupled to an associated circuit and being inductively coupled to the at least one resonator rib to inductively generate a clock current corresponding to the clock signal to provide functions for the associated circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2020
    Publication date: March 18, 2021
    Applicant: NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Joshua A. Strong, Max E. Nielsen
  • Patent number: 10886049
    Abstract: A superconducting on-chip coiled coupled-line 90° hybrid coupler is made of a series array of repeated cells of coiled transmission lines that are inductively and capacitively coupled. The coupler splits an incoming microwave signal into two output signals of roughly equal power and separated in phase from each other by roughly 90°. The coupler can be incorporated into such superconducting electronic circuits as clock-distribution networks for reciprocal quantum logic (RQL) systems, as well as Josephson-based phase shifters and vector modulators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Joshua A. Strong
  • Patent number: 10884450
    Abstract: One embodiment includes a clock distribution system. The system includes at least one resonator spine that propagates a clock signal and at least one resonator rib conductively coupled to the at least one resonator spine and being arranged as a standing wave resonator. At least one of the at least one resonator rib has a thickness that varies along a length of the respective one of the at least one resonator rib. The system also includes at least one transformer-coupling line. Each of the at least one transformer-coupling line can be conductively coupled to an associated circuit and being inductively coupled to the at least one resonator rib to inductively generate a clock current corresponding to the clock signal to provide functions for the associated circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Joshua A. Strong, Max E. Nielsen
  • Patent number: 10754371
    Abstract: One embodiment includes a clock distribution system. The system includes at least one resonator spine that propagates a sinusoidal clock signal and at least one resonator rib conductively coupled to the at least one resonator spine and arranged as a standing wave resonator. The system further includes at least one coupling capacitor. Each of the at least one coupling capacitor can interconnect at least one of the at least one resonator rib and a respective circuit to capacitively provide a clock current corresponding to the sinusoidal clock signal to the respective circuit to provide functions for the respective circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Joshua A. Strong, Jose M. Acevdeo, Alexander K. Sirota, Max E. Nielsen
  • Publication number: 20200176158
    Abstract: A superconducting on-chip coiled coupled-line 90° hybrid coupler is made of a series array of repeated cells of coiled transmission lines that are inductively and capacitively coupled. The coupler splits an incoming microwave signal into two output signals of roughly equal power and separated in phase from each other by roughly 90°. The coupler can be incorporated into such superconducting electronic circuits as clock-distribution networks for reciprocal quantum logic (RQL) systems, as well as Josephson-based phase shifters and vector modulators.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2018
    Publication date: June 4, 2020
    Applicant: NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventor: JOSHUA A. STRONG
  • Patent number: 10608044
    Abstract: Capacitively coupled superconducting integrated circuits powered using alternating current clock signals are described. An example superconducting integrated circuit includes a first clock line coupled via a first capacitor to a first superconducting circuit including a first Josephson junction, where the first capacitor is configured to receive a first clock signal having a first phase and couple a first bias current to the first superconducting circuit. The superconducting integrated circuit further includes a second clock line coupled via a second capacitor to a second superconducting circuit including a second Josephson junction, where the second capacitor is configured to receive a second clock signal having a second phase and couple a second bias current to the second superconducting circuit, and where the second phase is different from the first phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Anna Y. Herr, Quentin P. Herr, Joshua A. Strong
  • Patent number: 10591952
    Abstract: One embodiment includes a clock distribution resonator system. The system includes a clock source configured to generate a clock signal having a predefined wavelength, and a main transmission line coupled to the clock source to propagate the clock signal and comprising a first predetermined length defined as a function of the wavelength of the clock signal. The system also includes a plurality of transmission line branches each coupled to the main transmission line to propagate the clock signal. Each of the plurality of transmission line branches includes a second predetermined length different from the first predetermined length. The system further includes a plurality of clock distribution networks coupled to the respective plurality of transmission line branches and being configured to provide the clock signal to each of a plurality of circuits to provide clock synchronization for the associated plurality of circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Joshua A. Strong, Max E. Nielsen, Vladimir V. Talanov, Temitope Olumuyiwa Ogunnika
  • Patent number: 10520974
    Abstract: One embodiment includes a clock distribution system. The system includes a standing-wave resonator configured to receive and to resonate a sinusoidal clock signal. The standing-wave resonator includes at least one anti-node portion associated with a peak current amplitude of the sinusoidal clock signal. The system also includes at least one clock line interconnecting each of the at least one anti-node portion and an associated circuit. The at least one clock line can be configured to propagate the sinusoidal clock signal for timing functions associated with the associated circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Joshua A. Strong, Anna Y. Herr, Quentin P. Herr, Steven B. Shauck
  • Patent number: 10474183
    Abstract: One embodiment includes a clock distribution system. The system includes at least one resonator spine that propagates a sinusoidal clock signal and at least one resonator rib conductively coupled to the at least one resonator spine and arranged as a standing wave resonator. The system also includes at least one transformer-coupling line. Each of the at least one transformer-coupling line is conductively coupled to an associated circuit and has a plurality of inductive couplings to the at least one resonator rib to inductively generate a clock current corresponding to the sinusoidal clock signal via each of the plurality of inductive couplings in an additive manner to provide functions for the associated circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Joshua A. Strong, Max Earl Nielsen
  • Patent number: 10431867
    Abstract: One embodiment includes a clock distribution system. The system includes a first resonator spine that propagates a first clock signal and a second resonator spine that propagates a second clock signal that is out-of-phase relative to the first clock signal. The system also includes at least one resonator rib each conductively coupled to at least one of the first and second resonator spines and being arranged as a standing wave resonator with respect to a respective at least one of the first and second clock signals to inductively provide the respective at least one of the first and second clock signals to an associated circuit via a respective transformer-coupling line. The system further includes an isolation element configured to mitigate at least one of inductive and capacitive coupling between the first and second clock signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Joshua A. Strong, Max E. Nielsen, Peter John Andrews
  • Publication number: 20190278321
    Abstract: One embodiment includes a clock distribution system. The system includes at least one resonator spine that propagates a clock signal and at least one resonator rib conductively coupled to the at least one resonator spine and being arranged as a standing wave resonator. At least one of the at least one resonator rib has a thickness that varies along a length of the respective one of the at least one resonator rib. The system also includes at least one transformer-coupling line. Each of the at least one transformer-coupling line can be conductively coupled to an associated circuit and being inductively coupled to the at least one resonator rib to inductively generate a clock current corresponding to the clock signal to provide functions for the associated circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2018
    Publication date: September 12, 2019
    Applicant: NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: JOSHUA A. STRONG, MAX E. NIELSEN
  • Publication number: 20190155326
    Abstract: One embodiment includes a clock distribution system. The system includes at least one resonator spine that propagates a sinusoidal clock signal and at least one resonator rib conductively coupled to the at least one resonator spine and arranged as a standing wave resonator. The system also includes at least one transformer-coupling line. Each of the at least one transformer-coupling line is conductively coupled to an associated circuit and has a plurality of inductive couplings to the at least one resonator rib to inductively generate a clock current corresponding to the sinusoidal clock signal via each of the plurality of inductive couplings in an additive manner to provide functions for the associated circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2018
    Publication date: May 23, 2019
    Applicant: NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: JOSHUA A. STRONG, MAX EARL NIELSEN
  • Patent number: 10133299
    Abstract: One embodiment includes a clock distribution system. The system includes at least one resonator spine that propagates a sinusoidal clock signal and at least one resonator rib conductively coupled to the at least one resonator spine and arranged as a standing wave resonator. The system also includes at least one transformer-coupling line. Each of the at least one transformer-coupling line is conductively coupled to an associated circuit and has a plurality of inductive couplings to the at least one resonator rib to inductively generate a clock current corresponding to the sinusoidal clock signal via each of the plurality of inductive couplings in an additive manner to provide functions for the associated circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Joshua A. Strong, Max Earl Nielsen
  • Patent number: 9991864
    Abstract: A phase shifter, including two superconducting circuits, is provided. Each of the superconducting circuits includes at least one capacitor coupled in parallel to at least a Josephson junction and at least one inductor, where a respective inductance of each of the Josephson junctions (e.g., a first Josephson junction and a second Josephson junction) is a function of at least a current flow through each of the respective inductors. An effect of any or both of: (1) at least the inductance of the at least the first Josephson junction and (2) at least the inductance of the at least the second Josephson junction causes a phase change of a radio frequency signal received at a first terminal of the phase shifter to generate a phase-shifted radio frequency signal at a second terminal of the phase shifter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Joshua A. Strong, Ofer Naaman, Jonathan D. Egan
  • Patent number: 9722589
    Abstract: A superconducting integrated circuit including a clock distribution network for distributing a clock signal in the superconducting integrated circuit is provided. The clock distribution network may include a clock structure having unit cells, where each of the unit cells may include at least one spine and at least one stub. The clock structure may further include at least one spine connected to the at least one stub, where the at least one stub may further be inductively coupled to at least one superconducting element. The clock signal may have a wavelength. Each of the unit cells may be spaced apart from each other along the clock structure by a distance, where the distance may be less than one tenth of the wavelength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Vladimir V. Talanov, Joshua A. Strong
  • Publication number: 20170201224
    Abstract: A phase shifter, including two superconducting circuits, is provided. Each of the superconducting circuits includes at least one capacitor coupled in parallel to at least a Josephson junction and at least one inductor, where a respective inductance of each of the Josephson junctions (e.g., a first Josephson junction and a second Josephson junction) is a function of at least a current flow through each of the respective inductors. An effect of any or both of: (1) at least the inductance of the at least the first Josephson junction and (2) at least the inductance of the at least the second Josephson junction causes a phase change of a radio frequency signal received at a first terminal of the phase shifter to generate a phase-shifted radio frequency signal at a second terminal of the phase shifter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2015
    Publication date: July 13, 2017
    Inventors: Joshua A. Strong, Ofer Naaman, Jonathan D. Egan