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IPFS News Link • Technology: Computer Hardware

80 Times More Energy Prototype Superconducting Chips that Will Soon Reach 10 Ghz

• https://www.nextbigfuture.com, Brian Wang

The adiabatic quantum-flux-parametron (AQFP) is a building block for ultra-low-power, high-performance microprocessors, and other computing hardware for the next generation of data centers and communication networks. They made a four bit AQFP that proves practical energy-efficient high-speed computing is possible. The prototype 4-bit AQFP microprocessor called MANA (Monolithic Adiabatic iNtegration Architecture) is the world's first adiabatic superconductor microprocessor.

A separate chip shows data processing part of the microprocessor can operate up to a clock frequency of 2.5 GHz which is around the level of 2-4 Ghz par for current CMOS computing technologies. They expect this to increase the AQFP chip clockspeeds to 5-10 GHz with some modifications.

The devices have to be cooled 4.2 Kelvin to allow the AQFPs to go into the superconducting state.