Persistent current storage device

Claim 1

A PERSISTENT CURRENT STORAGE DEVICE COMPRISING FIRST AND SECOND SUPERCONDUCTIVE PATHS EXTENDING IN PARALLEL BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND TERMINALS TO FORM A CLOSED SUPERCONDUCTIVE LOOP; THE INDUCTANCE OF SAID FIRST PATH BEING SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE INDUCTANCE OF SAID SECOND PATH; SAID FIRST PATH INCLUDING AT LEAST A PORTION WHICH IS DRIVEN FROM A SUPERCONDUCTIVE TO A RESISTIVE STATE BY ITS SELF-MAGNETIC FIELD WHEN THE CURRENT IN SAID FIRST PATH EXCEEDS A PREDETERMINED CURRENT; SAID SECOND PATH BEING CAPABLE OF CARRYING A CURRENT APPRECIABLY GREATER THAN SAID PREDETERMINED CURRENT WITHOUT ANY PORTION THEREOF BEING DRIVEN FROM A SUPERCONDUCTIVE TO A RESISTIVE STATE BY ITS SELF-MAGNETIC FIELD; AND CURRENT SUPPLY MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID FIRST TERMINAL FOR APPLYING THERETO A FIRST CURRENT SIGNAL OF SUFFICIENT MAGNITUDE TO BE EFFECTIVE AS IT IS APPLIED TO CAUSE SAID PORTION OF SAID FIRST PATH TO BE DRIVEN RESISTIVE SO THAT UPON ITS TERMINATION A PERSISTENT CURRENT SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO SAID PREDETERMINED CURRENT IS ESTABLISHED IN SAID LOOP; SAID CURRENT SUPPLY MEANS THEREAFTER APPLYING A SECOND CURRENT SIGNAL IN A DIRECTION TO ADD TO THE PERSISTENT CURRENT IN SAID FIRST PATH TO THEREBY CAUSE SAID FIRST PORTION OF SAID FIRST PATH TO BE DRIVEN RESISTIVE; THE MAGNITUDE OF SAID SECOND SIGNAL BEING EQUAL TO TWICE SAID PREDETERMINED CURRENT AND EFFECTIVE UPON ITS TERMINATION TO REDUCE THE CURRENT IN SAID LOOP TO ESSENTIALLY ZERO.