Power current cryotron with flat gate conductor

Claim 2

A power current cryotron comprising an insulating member and a layer type gate conductor superconducting layer on the insulating member, said layer having a thickness in the order of magnitude of the depth of penetration of a magnetic field into the superconducting layer, said insulating member and said layer being of meander configuration so that during operation of said cryotron adjacent portions of said layer conduct current in opposite directions.

Claim 3

A power current cryotron comprising an insulating member and a layer type gate conductor superconducting layer on the insulating member, said layer having a thickness in the order of magnitude of the depth of penetration of a magnetic field into the superconducting layer, said insulating member and said layer being of meander configuration so that during operation of said cryotron adjacent portions of said layer conduct current in opposite directions.

Claim 4

A power current cryotron comprising an insulating member and a layer type gate conductor superconducting layer on the insulating member, said layer having a thickness in the order of magnitude of the depth of penetration of a magnetic field into the superconducting layer, said insulating member and said layer being of meander configuration so that during operation of said cryotron adjacent portions of said layer conduct current in opposite directions.

Claim 5

A power current cryotron comprising a tubular insulating member having an axis and a layer type gate conductor superconducting layer on said insulating member, said layer having a thickness in the order of magnitude of the depth of penetration of a magnetic field into the superconducting layer, said insulating member and said layer being of meander configuration running in directions parallel to the axis of the tubular insulating member so that during operation of said cryotron adjacent portions of said layer conduct current in opposite directions.

Claim 6

A power current cryotron comprising a tubular insulating member having an axis and a layer type gate conductor superconducting layer on said insulating member, said layer having a thickness in the order of magnitude of the depth of penetration of a magnetic field into the superconducting layer, said insulating member and said layer being of meander configuration running in directions parallel to the axis of the tubular insulating member so that during operation of said cryotron adjacent portions of said layer conduct current in opposite directions.

Claim 7

A power current cryotron as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a tube of insulating material of cylindrical configuration, said tubular insulating member and said superconducting layer on said insulating member being arranged on the cylindrical surface of said tube.

Claim 8

A power current cryotron as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a tube of cylindrical configuration coated with insulating material, said tubular insulating member and said superconducting layer on said insulating member being arranged on the cylindrical surface of said tube.

Claim 9

A power current cryotron as claimed in claim 2, wherein said layer is in meander configuration having spaced parallel tubular portions and briDge tubular portions of greater diameter than said parallel portions joining adjacent ones of said parallel portions to each other at one corresponding end of each of said parallel portions to provide a continuous layer.

Claim 10

A power current cryotron as claimed in claim 2, wherein said tubular insulating member comprises an insulating tube having an axis and said layer comprises a plurality of spaced parallel strips extending parallel to the axis of said insulating tube and uniformly distributed around said insulating tube.

Claim 11

A power current cryotron as claimed in claim 2, comprising a plurality of concentric insulating tubes and a plurality of superconducting layers on tubular insulating members each being arranged on a corresponding one of said insulating tubes, each of said layers being of meander configuration.

Claim 12

A power current cryotron as claimed in claim 2, further comprising an insulating plate, said tubular insulating member and said superconducting layer on said insulating member being arranged in a meander spiral configuration on said insulating plate.

Claim 13

A power current cryotron as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a control conductor in spaced parallel relation to said gate conductor comprising another insulating member and another superconducting layer on said other insulating member.

Claim 14

A power current cryotron as claimed in claim 2, further comprising another superconducting layer.

Claim 15

A power current cryotron as claimed in claim 2, comprising a plurality of insulating plates and a plurality of superconducting layers on tubular insulating members each being arranged on a corresponding one of said insulating plates in a meander spiral configuration, said layers being in continuous connection with each other.

Claim 16

A power current cryotron as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a coolant, wherein each of said insulating plates is immersed in said coolant and is hollow and has a plurality of holes formed therethrough at points of contact of the corresponding layer with the insulating plate in a manner which permits free circulation of the coolant around said layer.

Claim 17

A power current cryotron as claimed in claim 12, further comprising coolant supply means for supplying coolant to said insulating plates.

Claim 18

A power current cryotron, comprising an insulating carrier structure having supporting walls, a flat gate conductor comprising a flat strip of superconducting material having a thickness in the order of magnitude of the depth of magnetic field penetration in said material, said gate conductor forming continuous flat winding turns beside one another on said insulating carrier structure and distributed along said carrier structure for substantially uniform magnetic field strength along the predominant portion of the gate conductor length, the winding turns of said gate conductor forming conjointly a helix of a generally rectangular cross-sectional shape whose longitudinal side portions are long as compared with the transverse side portions, the longitudinal side portions of said strip being held by said supporting walls.

Claim 19

A power current cryotron, comprising an insulating carrier structure having supporting walls, a flat gate conductor comprising a flat strip of superconducting material having a thickness in the order of magnitude of the depth of magnetic field penetration in said material, said gate conductor forming continuous flat winding turns beside one another on said insulating carrier structure and distributed along said carrier structure for substantially uniform magnetic field strength along the predominant portion of the gate conductor length, the winding turns of said gate conductor forming conjointly a helix of a generally rectangular cross-sectional shape whose longitudinal side portions are long as compared with the transverse side portions, the longitudinal side portions of said strip being held by said supporting walls.

Claim 20

A power current cryotron as claimed in claim 14, wherein the winding turns of said gate conductor of superconducting material are spaced from each other the distance at which the configuration of the resulting total magnetic field is close to, but still insufficient to cause the threshold disturbance at which the current carrying capacity is impaired.

Claim 21

A power current cryotron as claimed in claim 14, wherein the flat strip gate conductor comprises a superconductive layer on an insulated tape.

Claim 22

A power current cryotron as claimed in claim 14, wherein said carrier structure comprises two wall members spaced from each other in generally parallel relation and forming with each other a gap space between them for cryogenic medium, and the longitudinal side portions of the winding turns of said gate conductor extend along and in contact with the respective wall members in said gap space.

Claim 23

A power cUrrent cryotron as claimed in claim 14, wherein said carrier structure comprises a cryogenic vessel wall and the longitudinal side portions of the winding turns of said gate conductor lie flat against respectively opposite faces of said wall.

Claim 24

A power current cryotron as claimed in claim 14, said carrier structure comprising a planar plate, said winding turns of said gate conductor being wound about said plate, the flat sides of said turns facing said plate.

Claim 25

A power current cryotron as claimed in claim 14, wherein said carrier structure comprises a cylindrical wall member.

Claim 26

A power current cryotron as claimed in claim 14, further comprising a control conductor, said carrier structure forming a partitioning wall and having said winding turns of said gate conductor mounted on one side and said control conductor on the other side of said wall.

Claim 27

A power current cryotron as claimed in claim 17, wherein the transverse side portions of said substantially rectangularly shaped winding turns consist of superconducting material of a higher critical field strength than that of said longitudinal portions.

Claim 28

A power current cryotron as claimed in claim 17, wherein said two wall members are cylindrical and arranged in coaxial relation to each other.

Claim 29

A power current cryotron as claimed in claim 19, wherein said gate conductor is formed at each end of said carrier plate as a tube coated with an outer layer of superconducting material, the tubular ends of said gate conductor extending at least over one turn of said winding.