Patents by Inventor Mark H. Volkmann
Mark H. Volkmann 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).
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Patent number: 11879950Abstract: Superconducting integrated circuits may advantageously employ superconducting resonators coupled to a microwave transmission line to efficiently address superconducting flux storage devices. In an XY-addressing scheme, a global flux bias may be applied to a number of superconducting flux storage devices via a low-frequency address line, and individual superconducting flux storage devices addressed via application of high-frequency pulses via resonators driven by the microwave transmission line. Frequency multiplexing can be employed to provide signals to two or more resonators. A low-frequency current bias may be combined with a high-frequency current in one or more superconducting resonators to provide Z-addressing. A low-frequency current bias may be combined with a high-frequency current in one or more superconducting resonators to eliminate a flux bias line.Type: GrantFiled: May 16, 2019Date of Patent: January 23, 2024Assignee: D-WAVE SYSTEMS INC.Inventors: Loren J. Swenson, Emile M. Hoskinson, Mark H. Volkmann, Andrew J. Berkley, George E. G. Sterling, Jed D. Whittaker
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Patent number: 11874344Abstract: A device is dynamically isolated via a broadband switch that includes a plurality of cascade elements in series, wherein each cascade element comprises a first set of SQUIDs in series, a matching capacitor, and a second set of SQUIDs in series. The broadband switch is set to a passing state via flux bias lines during programming and readout of the device and set to a suppression state during device's calculation to reduce operation errors at the device. A device is electrically isolated from high-frequencies via an unbiased broadband switch. A device is coupled to a tunable thermal bath that includes a broadband switch.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2022Date of Patent: January 16, 2024Assignee: D-WAVE SYSTEMS INC.Inventors: Loren J. Swenson, Andrew J. Berkley, Mark H. Volkmann, George E. G. Sterling, Jed D. Whittaker
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Patent number: 11847534Abstract: A superconducting readout system employing a microwave transmission line, and a microwave superconducting resonator communicatively coupled to the microwave transmission line, and including a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID), may be advantageously calibrated at least in part by measuring a resonant frequency of the microwave superconducting resonator in response to a flux bias applied to the SQUID, measuring a sensitivity of the resonant frequency in response to the flux bias, and selecting an operating frequency and a sensitivity of the microwave superconducting resonator based at least in part on a variation of the resonant frequency as a function of the flux bias. The flux bias may be applied to the SQUID by an interface inductively coupled to the SQUID. Calibration of the superconducting readout system may also include determining at least one of a propagation delay, a microwave transmission line delay, and a microwave transmission line phase offset.Type: GrantFiled: August 22, 2019Date of Patent: December 19, 2023Assignee: D-WAVE SYSTEMS INC.Inventors: Jed D. Whittaker, Loren J. Swenson, Ilya V. Perminov, Abraham J. Evert, Peter D. Spear, Mark H. Volkmann, Catia Baron Aznar, Michael S. Babcock
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Publication number: 20230297869Abstract: A superconducting integrated circuit has a first superconducting device with a first superconducting loop, where the first superconducting loop has a first superconducting trace in a first layer of the superconducting integrated circuit, and a second superconducting device with a second superconducting loop, where the second superconducting loop has a second superconducting trace in a second layer. The first superconducting loop crosses the second superconducting loop in a crossing region. At least a portion of each of the first and the second superconducting trace inside the crossing region is narrower than at least a portion of each of the traces outside the crossing region, and follows a respective circuitous path which is inductively proximate to at least a portion of the other path.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 29, 2021Publication date: September 21, 2023Inventors: Paul I. Bunyk, Reza Molavi, Kelly T.R. Boothby, Mark H. Volkmann
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Publication number: 20230204691Abstract: A device is dynamically isolated via a broadband switch that includes a plurality of cascade elements in series, wherein each cascade element comprises a first set of SQUIDs in series, a matching capacitor, and a second set of SQUIDs in series. The broadband switch is set to a passing state via flux bias lines during programming and readout of the device and set to a suppression state during device's calculation to reduce operation errors at the device. A device is electrically isolated from high-frequencies via an unbiased broadband switch. A device is coupled to a tunable thermal bath that includes a broadband switch.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 15, 2022Publication date: June 29, 2023Inventors: Loren J. Swenson, Andrew J. Berkley, Mark H. Volkmann, George E.G. Sterling, Jed D. Whittaker
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Publication number: 20230101616Abstract: Methods for mitigating microwave crosstalk and forming a component in a superconducting integrated circuit are discussed. Mitigating microwave crosstalk involves forming a microwave shield within the superconducting integrated circuit, the superconducting integrated circuit including a microwave sensitive component. The microwave shield is formed from a base layer and one or more sides, and the footprint of the microwave sensitive component is contained within the footprint of the microwave shielding base layer, with the one or more sides extending around at least a portion of the microwave sensitive component. Forming a component involves depositing a first metal layer, depositing a dielectric layer overlying the first metal layer, the dielectric layer comprising Nb2O5 that is deposited by atomic layer deposition, and depositing a second metal layer overlying the dielectric layer.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 18, 2020Publication date: March 30, 2023Inventors: Mark H. Volkmann, Reza Molavi, Jed D. Whittaker
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Publication number: 20230027682Abstract: An analog computing system having a qubit which is provided with inductors positioned near to the qubit's Josephson junctions and inductors positioned far from the qubit's Josephson junctions. The near inductors exhibit capacitance-reducing behavior and the far inductors exhibit capacitance-increasing behavior as their respective inductances are increased. Near and far inductors can be tuned to homogenize the capacitance of the qubit across a range of programmable states based on predicted and target capacitance for the qubit. The inductors may be tuned to homogenize both capacitance and inductance.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 15, 2020Publication date: January 26, 2023Inventors: Reza Molavi, Mark H. Volkmann, Emile M. Hoskinson, Richard G. Harris, Trevor M. Lanting, Paul I. Bunyk, Andrew J. Berkley
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Patent number: 11561269Abstract: A device is dynamically isolated via a broadband switch that includes a plurality of cascade elements in series, wherein each cascade element comprises a first set of SQUIDs in series, a matching capacitor, and a second set of SQUIDs in series. The broadband switch is set to a passing state via flux bias lines during programming and readout of the device and set to a suppression state during device's calculation to reduce operation errors at the device. A device is electrically isolated from high-frequencies via an unbiased broadband switch. A device is coupled to a tunable thermal bath that includes a broadband switch.Type: GrantFiled: July 29, 2021Date of Patent: January 24, 2023Assignee: D-WAVE SYSTEMS INC.Inventors: Loren J. Swenson, Andrew J. Berkley, Mark H. Volkmann, George E. G. Sterling, Jed D. Whittaker
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Publication number: 20230006324Abstract: A superconducting circuit may include a transmission line having at least one transmission line inductance, a superconducting resonator, and a coupling capacitance that communicatively couples the superconducting resonator to the transmission line. The transmission line inductance may have a value selected to at least partially compensate for a variation in a characteristic impedance of the transmission line, the variation caused at least in part by the coupling capacitance. The coupling capacitance may be distributed along the length of the transmission line. A superconducting circuit may include a transmission line having at least one transmission line capacitance, a superconducting resonator, and a coupling inductance that communicatively couples the superconducting resonator to the transmission line. The transmission line capacitance may be selected to at least partially compensate for a variation in coupling strength between the superconducting resonator and the transmission line.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 12, 2022Publication date: January 5, 2023Inventors: Jed D. Whittaker, Loren J. Swenson, Mark H. Volkmann
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Patent number: 11514223Abstract: Systems and methods are described to accurately extract device parameters and optimize the design of macroscopic superconducting structures, for example qubits. This method presents the advantage of reusing existing plaquettes to simulate different processor topologies. The physical elements of a qubits are extracted via plurality of plaquettes. Each plaquette contains at least one physical element of the qubit design and has two ports on each side. Each plaquette is concatenated to at least one other plaquette via two ports. The values of inductance (L), capacitance (C) and mutual inductance (M) and quantum critical point of the qubit design can be computed. Changing the physical elements of the qubit design and iterating the method allows to effortlessly refine the qubit design.Type: GrantFiled: October 12, 2020Date of Patent: November 29, 2022Assignee: D-WAVE SYSTEMS INC.Inventors: Reza Molavi, Mark H. Volkmann, Paul I. Bunyk
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Patent number: 11424521Abstract: A superconducting circuit may include a transmission line having at least one transmission line inductance, a superconducting resonator, and a coupling capacitance that communicatively couples the superconducting resonator to the transmission line. The transmission line inductance may have a value selected to at least partially compensate for a variation in a characteristic impedance of the transmission line, the variation caused at least in part by the coupling capacitance. The coupling capacitance may be distributed along the length of the transmission line. A superconducting circuit may include a transmission line having at least one transmission line capacitance, a superconducting resonator, and a coupling inductance that communicatively couples the superconducting resonator to the transmission line. The transmission line capacitance may be selected to at least partially compensate for a variation in coupling strength between the superconducting resonator and the transmission line.Type: GrantFiled: February 20, 2019Date of Patent: August 23, 2022Assignee: D-WAVE SYSTEMS INC.Inventors: Jed D. Whittaker, Loren J. Swenson, Mark H. Volkmann
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Publication number: 20220253740Abstract: A digital processor simulates a quantum computing system by implementing a QPU model including a set of representation models and a device connectivity representation to simulate a quantum processor design or a physical quantum processor. The digital processor receives an analog waveform and generates a digital waveform representation comprising a set of waveform values that correspond to biases applied to programmable devices in a quantum processor. The digital processor selects a subset of waveform values based on channels in the device connectivity representation. The digital processor implements a representation model to compute a response based on the waveform values and a plurality of physical parameter values, the physical parameters characterizing a programmable device in a quantum processor.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 10, 2020Publication date: August 11, 2022Inventors: Mark W. Johnson, Mauricio Reis Filho, Mark H. Volkmann, Ilya V. Perminov, Paul I. Bunyk
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Publication number: 20220123048Abstract: A circuit can include a galvanic coupling of a coupler to a qubit by a segment of kinetic inductance material. The circuit can include a galvanic kinetic inductance coupler having multiple windings. The circuit can include a partially-galvanic coupler having multiple windings. The partially-galvanic coupler can include a magnetic coupling and a galvanic coupling. The circuit can include an asymmetric partially-galvanic coupler having a galvanic coupling and a first magnetic coupling to one qubit and a second magnetic coupling to a second qubit. The circuit can include a compact kinetic inductance qubit having a qubit body loop comprising a kinetic inductance material. A multilayer integrated circuit including a kinetic inductance layer can form a galvanic kinetic inductance coupling. A multilayer integrated circuit including a kinetic inductance layer can form at least a portion of a compact kinetic inductance qubit body loop.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 13, 2020Publication date: April 21, 2022Inventors: Loren J. Swenson, George E.G. Sterling, Mark H. Volkmann, Colin C. Enderud
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Publication number: 20220011384Abstract: A device is dynamically isolated via a broadband switch that includes a plurality of cascade elements in series, wherein each cascade element comprises a first set of SQUIDs in series, a matching capacitor, and a second set of SQUIDs in series. The broadband switch is set to a passing state via flux bias lines during programming and readout of the device and set to a suppression state during device's calculation to reduce operation errors at the device. A device is electrically isolated from high-frequencies via an unbiased broadband switch. A device is coupled to a tunable thermal bath that includes a broadband switch.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 29, 2021Publication date: January 13, 2022Inventors: Loren J. Swenson, Andrew J. Berkley, Mark H. Volkmann, George E.G. Sterling, Jed D. Whittaker
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Publication number: 20210350268Abstract: A superconducting readout system employing a microwave transmission line, and a microwave superconducting resonator communicatively coupled to the microwave transmission line, and including a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID), may be advantageously calibrated at least in part by measuring a resonant frequency of the microwave superconducting resonator in response to a flux bias applied to the SQUID, measuring a sensitivity of the resonant frequency in response to the flux bias, and selecting an operating frequency and a sensitivity of the microwave superconducting resonator based at least in part on a variation of the resonant frequency as a function of the flux bias. The flux bias may be applied to the SQUID by an interface inductively coupled to the SQUID. Calibration of the superconducting readout system may also include determining at least one of a propagation delay, a microwave transmission line delay, and a microwave transmission line phase offset.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 22, 2019Publication date: November 11, 2021Inventors: Jed D. Whittaker, Loren J. Swenson, Ilya V. Perminov, Abraham J. Evert, Peter D. Spear, Mark H. Volkmann, Catia Baron Aznar, Michael S. Babcock
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Patent number: 11105866Abstract: A device is dynamically isolated via a broadband switch that includes a plurality of cascade elements in series, wherein each cascade element comprises a first set of SQUIDs in series, a matching capacitor, and a second set of SQUIDs in series. The broadband switch is set to a passing state via flux bias lines during programming and readout of the device and set to a suppression state during device's calculation to reduce operation errors at the device. A device is electrically isolated from high-frequencies via an unbiased broadband switch. A device is coupled to a tunable thermal bath that includes a broadband switch.Type: GrantFiled: April 29, 2019Date of Patent: August 31, 2021Assignee: D-WAVE SYSTEMS INC.Inventors: Loren J. Swenson, Andrew J. Berkley, Mark H. Volkmann, George E. G. Sterling
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Publication number: 20210218367Abstract: A superconducting input and/or output system employs at least one microwave superconducting resonator. The microwave superconducting resonator(s) may be communicatively coupled to a microwave transmission line. Each microwave superconducting resonator may include a first and a second DC SQUID, in series with one another and with an inductance (e.g., inductor), and a capacitance in parallel with the first and second DC SQUIDs and inductance. Respective inductive interfaces are operable to apply flux bias to control the DC SQUIDs. The second DC SQUID may be coupled to a Quantum Flux Parametron (QFP), for example as a final element in a shift register. A superconducting parallel plate capacitor structure and method of fabricating such are also taught.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 26, 2021Publication date: July 15, 2021Inventors: Andrew J. Berkley, Loren J. Swenson, Mark H. Volkmann, Jed D. Whittaker, Paul I. Bunyk, Peter D. Spear, Christopher B. Rich
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Publication number: 20210190885Abstract: Superconducting integrated circuits may advantageously employ superconducting resonators coupled to a microwave transmission line to efficiently address superconducting flux storage devices. In an XY-addressing scheme, a global flux bias may be applied to a number of superconducting flux storage devices via a low-frequency address line, and individual superconducting flux storage devices addressed via application of high-frequency pulses via resonators driven by the microwave transmission line. Frequency multiplexing can be employed to provide signals to two or more resonators. A low-frequency current bias may be combined with a high-frequency current in one or more superconducting resonators to provide Z-addressing. A low-frequency current bias may be combined with a high-frequency current in one or more superconducting resonators to eliminate a flux bias line.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 16, 2019Publication date: June 24, 2021Inventors: Loren J. Swenson, Emile M. Hoskinson, Mark H. Volkmann, Andrew J. Berkley, George E.G. Sterling, Jed D. Whittaker
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Publication number: 20210133385Abstract: Systems and methods are described to accurately extract device parameters and optimize the design of macroscopic superconducting structures, for example qubits. This method presents the advantage of reusing existing plaquettes to simulate different processor topologies. The physical elements of a qubits are extracted via plurality of plaquettes. Each plaquette contains at least one physical element of the qubit design and has two ports on each side. Each plaquette is concatenated to at least one other plaquette via two ports. The values of inductance (L), capacitance (C) and mutual inductance (M) and quantum critical point of the qubit design can be computed. Changing the physical elements of the qubit design and iterating the method allows to effortlessly refine the qubit design.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 12, 2020Publication date: May 6, 2021Inventors: Reza Molavi, Mark H. Volkmann, Paul I. Bunyk
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Patent number: 10938346Abstract: A superconducting input and/or output system employs at least one microwave superconducting resonator. The microwave superconducting resonator(s) may be communicatively coupled to a microwave transmission line. Each microwave superconducting resonator may include a first and a second DC SQUID, in series with one another and with an inductance (e.g., inductor), and a capacitance in parallel with the first and second DC SQUIDs and inductance. Respective inductive interfaces are operable to apply flux bias to control the DC SQUIDs. The second DC SQUID may be coupled to a Quantum Flux Parametron (QFP), for example as a final element in a shift register. A superconducting parallel plate capacitor structure and method of fabricating such are also taught.Type: GrantFiled: May 11, 2016Date of Patent: March 2, 2021Assignee: D-WAVE SYSTEMS INC.Inventors: Andrew J. Berkley, Loren J. Swenson, Mark H. Volkmann, Jed D. Whittaker, Paul I. Bunyk, Peter D. Spear, Christopher B. Rich