Analog/digital converter

Abstract

Abstract PURPOSE:To utilize an analog/digital converter as a magnetic sensor and realize a high speed operation by a method wherein a converting part composed of a plurality of superconducting current paths which are connected in series and whose respective critical current conditions are so predetermined as to be different from each other with a certain difference and a detector equipped with a means to detect the cut-off of a superconducting current are provided and the change of the environmental magnetic field of the converting part is directly outputted. CONSTITUTION:A converting part is composed of superconducting members S1, S2...Si...Sn+1 which are piled and whose sectional area are varied step by step. Thin insulating layers are provided in junction parts between the respective superconducting members and Josephson junctions J1, J2...Jn whose respective critical currents are different from each other are formed. Terminals P2, P3...Pn for detecting voltages of the respective superconducting members are connected. A predetermined current I0 which is smaller than the critical current of the Josephson junction. J1 which has the minimum critical current condition is applied. When a magnetic field Hm with a certain intensity is applied, the superconducting conditions of a certain junction Ji and of junctions which have lower critical current conditions than the junction Ji are broken and resistances are produced. Thus, a voltage corresponding to the change of the environmental magnetic field is inputted to an encoder to obtain a digital binary signal.

Inventors

• 👤 Nobuo Shiga

Bibliographic Details