Descripción del proyecto
Un planteamiento novedoso de las puertas lógicas superconductoras podría dar paso a una nueva era de la supercomputación
Las calculadoras supusieron una gran mejora con respecto al lápiz y el papel, pero los ordenadores revolucionaron realmente nuestra capacidad de cálculo, al aumentar exponencialmente el número y la complejidad de los cálculos posibles en una fracción del tiempo. Los superordenadores basados en puertas lógicas cuánticas superconductoras han ampliado esas posibilidades y son cada vez más valiosos para muchos campos, pero se enfrentan a desafíos en cuanto a la mejora del rendimiento y la reducción del consumo de energía. En el proyecto SuperGate, financiado con fondos europeos, se creará un método nuevo para la lógica superconductora que permitirá obtener el mismo o mejor rendimiento minimizando los problemas actuales, lo que dará paso a la próxima evolución de los superordenadores.
Objetivo
Supercomputers are playing an increasingly important role for our society by performing calculations with a variety of implications ranging from weather forecasting to genetic material sequencing to testing of drugs for new diseases. Enhancing the performance of modern supercomputers, whilst minimising their energy losses, represent two contrasting but major needs that the information technology industry will have to address in the future.
The best solution proposed to date to reduce the energy costs of supercomputers without affecting their performance is based on hybrid computing architectures, where a semiconductor part based on complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology and used for memory operations is combined at low temperatures with logic circuitry offering minimal energy losses thanks to the usage of superconductor (S) materials. Existing superconducting logics, which relies on rapid single flux quantum (RSFQ) technology, however, it is difficult to interface with CMOS and to scale up and it is sensitive to magnetic perturbations – which are the main reasons why hybrid platforms have not replaced CMOS systems despite their advantages.
Starting from our recent discovery that the logic state in some S devices can be controlled via the field effect (FE), in this project we propose to develop a new technology for superconducting logics that can offer performance at least comparable to that of RSFQ logics whilst overcoming all its drawbacks. We will adopt a systematic approach aiming at (i) understanding of the FE in a S, (ii) determining the S materials and device geometry with optimised performance, (iii) testing the dynamic response of optimised devices, (iv) developing logic circuits based on such devices and (v) testing a logic circuit in conjunction with a CMOS electro-optical modulator. We will also establish technology transfer and pave the way for the commercialisation of our technology, which can revolutionise the world of supercomputer.
Ámbito científico
- natural sciencesphysical scienceselectromagnetism and electronicssemiconductivity
- natural sciencesmathematicspure mathematicsgeometry
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringcomputer hardwaresupercomputers
- natural sciencesphysical scienceselectromagnetism and electronicssuperconductivity
Palabras clave
Programa(s)
Convocatoria de propuestas
Consulte otros proyectos de esta convocatoriaConvocatoria de subcontratación
H2020-FETOPEN-2018-2019-2020-01
Régimen de financiación
RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinador
78464 Konstanz
Alemania