Superconducting probe card
View Patent ↗A system may include first and second qubits that cross one another and a first coupler having a perimeter that encompasses at least a part of the portions of the first and second qubits, the first coupler being operable to ferromagnetically or anti-ferromagnetically couple the first and the second qubits together. A multi-layered computer chip may include a first plurality N of qubits laid out in a first metal layer, a second plurality M of qubits laid out at least partially in a second metal layer that cross each of the qubits of the first plurality of qubits, and a first plurality N times M of coupling devices that at least partially encompasses an area where a respective pair of the qubits from the first and the second plurality of qubits cross each other.
1. A superconducting probe card comprising:
a printed circuit board including a dielectric medium that carries at least one conductive trace, wherein the at least one conductive trace is superconducting below a first critical temperature; and
at least one conductive needle that is at least partially formed by a material that is superconducting below a second critical temperature, wherein the at least one conductive needle is communicably coupled to the at least one conductive trace and the at least one conductive needle includes a first end that is tapered to form a point, wherein:
the first critical temperature of the at least one conductive trace and the second critical temperature of the at least one conductive needle are both approximately equal to or greater than an operating temperature of the superconducting probe card;
the printed circuit board carries at least one contact pad that is formed by a material that is superconducting below a third critical temperature, and wherein the at least one contact pad is superconductingly communicably coupled to the at least one conductive trace and the communicable coupling between the at least one conductive trace and the at least one conductive needle is realized through the at least one contact pad;
at least a portion of the at least one conductive needle is coated with a solderable material that is superconducting below a critical temperature; and
the at least one conductive needle is communicably coupled to the at least one contact pad on the printed circuit board by a superconducting solder connection.
2. The superconducting probe card of claim 1 wherein the solderable material includes zinc.
3. The superconducting probe card of claim 1 wherein the solderable material includes at least one of tin and lead.
4. The superconducting probe card of claim 1 wherein the solderable material is substantially non-magnetic.
5. The superconducting probe card of claim 1 wherein the superconducting probe card includes at least two conductive needles and wherein the at least two conductive needles are communicably coupled to a same one of the at least one conductive trace carried by the printed circuit board.
6. The superconducting probe card of claim 1 wherein the at least one conductive needle includes a plated layer of the material that is superconducting below the critical temperature.
7. The superconducting probe card of claim 1 wherein the material that is superconducting below the second critical temperature includes a tungsten-rhenium alloy where the proportion of rhenium in the tungsten-rhenium alloy is greater than 4% and less than 50%.
8. The superconducting probe card of claim 1 wherein the material that is superconducting below the second critical temperature includes a tungsten-rhenium alloy where the proportion of rhenium in the tungsten-rhenium alloy is between approximately 10% -40%.
9. The superconducting probe card of claim 1 wherein the material that is superconducting below the second critical temperature includes a tungsten-rhenium alloy where the proportion of rhenium in the tungsten-rhenium alloy is approximately 26%.
10. The superconducting probe card of claim 1 wherein the at least one conductive trace is formed by a non-superconducting material plated with a material that is superconducting below the first critical temperature.
11. The superconducting probe card of claim 1 wherein the printed circuit board includes a hole through the dielectric medium and the at least one conductive needle includes a bend in its length such that the point at the first end of the at least one conductive needle extends through the hole.
12. The superconducting probe card of claim 1 wherein the at least one conductive needle is formed of an alloy of tungsten-rhenium where the proportion of rhenium in the alloy is greater than 4% and less than 50%.
13. The superconducting probe card of claim 12 wherein the proportion of rhenium in the alloy is in the range of 10%-40%.
14. The superconducting probe card of claim 13 wherein the proportion of rhenium in the alloy is approximately 26%.
15. The superconducting probe card of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of additional conductive traces carried by the dielectric medium, wherein each of the additional conductive traces is superconducting below the first critical temperature; and
a plurality of additional conductive needles, wherein each of the additional conductive needles is at least partially formed by a material that is superconducting below the second critical temperature, wherein each of the additional conductive needles is communicably coupled to a respective one of the plurality of additional conductive traces and wherein each of the additional conductive needles includes a first end that is tapered to form a point;
wherein the first critical temperature of the plurality of additional conductive traces and the second critical temperature of the plurality of additional conductive needles are both approximately equal to or greater than the operating temperature of the superconducting probe card.
16. The superconducting probe card of claim 15 wherein the printed circuit board carries a plurality of contact pads, wherein each contact pad is formed by a material that is superconducting below a third critical temperature, and wherein each contact pad is superconductingly communicably coupled to a respective one of the conductive traces such that each communicable coupling between a conductive trace and a respective conductive needle is realized through a respective contact pad.
17. The superconducting probe card of claim 15 wherein the printed circuit board includes a plurality of holes through the dielectric medium and each conductive needle includes a bend in its length such that the point at the first end of each conductive needle extends through a respective one of the holes.
18. The superconducting probe card of claim 1 wherein the first end of the at least one conductive needle is superconductingly communicably coupled to a superconducting device.
19. The superconducting probe card of claim 18 wherein the superconducting device includes a superconducting integrated circuit.
20. The superconducting probe card of claim 19 , further comprising:
a first set of qubits laid out at least partially in a first metal layer of the superconducting integrated circuit; and
a second set of qubits laid out at least partially in a second metal layer of the superconducting integrated circuit, wherein each of the qubits in the first set of qubits crosses at least one qubit in the second set of qubits.
21. The superconducting probe card of claim 18 wherein the superconducting device includes a superconducting processor.
22. The superconducting probe card of claim 21 wherein the superconducting processor includes a superconducting quantum processor.
23. A superconducting probe card comprising:
a printed circuit board including a dielectric medium that carries at least one conductive trace, wherein the at least one conductive trace is superconducting below a first critical temperature;
at least one conductive needle that is at least partially formed by a material that is superconducting below a second critical temperature, wherein the at least one conductive needle is communicably coupled to the at least one conductive trace and the at least one conductive needle includes a first end that is tapered to form a point, wherein the first critical temperature of the at least one conductive trace and the second critical temperature of the at least one conductive needle are both approximately equal to or greater than an operating temperature of the superconducting probe card;
a plurality of additional conductive traces carried by the dielectric medium, wherein each of the additional conductive traces is superconducting below the first critical temperature; and
a plurality of additional conductive needles, wherein each of the additional conductive needles is at least partially formed by a material that is superconducting below the second critical temperature, wherein each of the additional conductive needles is communicably coupled to a respective one of the plurality of additional conductive traces and wherein each of the additional conductive needles includes a first end that is tapered to form a point, wherein:
the first critical temperature of the plurality of additional conductive traces and the second critical temperature of the plurality of additional conductive needles are both approximately equal to or greater than the operating temperature of the superconducting probe card,
the printed circuit board carries a plurality of contact pads, wherein each contact pad is formed by a material that is superconducting below a third critical temperature, and wherein each contact pad is superconductingly communicably coupled to a respective one of the conductive traces such that each communicable coupling between a conductive trace and a respective conductive needle is realized through a respective contact pad, and
at least a portion of each conductive needle in the plurality of additional conductive needles is coated with a solderable material that is superconducting below a fourth critical temperature, and wherein each conductive needle in the plurality of additional conductive needles is communicably coupled to a respective contact pad on the printed circuit board by a superconducting solder connection.
24. A superconducting probe card of claim 12 comprising:
a printed circuit board including a dielectric medium that carries at least one conductive trace, wherein the at least one conductive trace is superconducting below a first critical temperature; and
at least one conductive needle that is at least partially formed by a material that is superconducting below a second critical temperature, wherein the at least one conductive needle is communicably coupled to the at least one conductive trace and the at least one conductive needle includes a first end that is tapered to form a point, wherein
the first critical temperature of the at least one conductive trace and the second critical temperature of the at least one conductive needle are both approximately equal to or greater than an operating temperature of the superconducting probe card, and
the dielectric medium, the at least one conductive trace, and the at least one conductive needle are each formed by materials that are substantially non-magnetic.
25. A superconducting probe card comprising:
a printed circuit board including a dielectric medium that carries at least one conductive trace, wherein the at least one conductive trace is superconducting below a first critical temperature; and
at least one conductive needle that is at least partially formed by a material that is superconducting below a second critical temperature, wherein the at least one conductive needle is communicably coupled to the at least one conductive trace and the at least one conductive needle includes a first end that is tapered to form a point, wherein:
the first critical temperature of the at least one conductive trace and the second critical temperature of the at least one conductive needle are both approximately equal to or greater than an operating temperature of the superconducting probe card, and
the first end of each conductive needle is superconductingly communicably coupled to a respective contact pad carried by a superconducting device.
26. The superconducting probe card of claim 25 wherein the superconducting device includes a superconducting integrated circuit.
27. The superconducting probe card of claim 25 wherein the superconducting device includes a superconducting processor.
28. The superconducting probe card of claim 27 wherein the superconducting processor includes a superconducting quantum processor.