Shock-Wave Generation and Pulse Sharpening on a Series Array Josephson Junction Transmission Line

A nonlinear transmission line can generate a shock wave. However, dispersion and granularity of the line offset the theoretical discontinuity associated with the shock wave and force the wave to a stable form. This paper examines these stable waveforms in the context of superconducting technology. In particular, this paper examines the characteristics of a series Josephson junction transmission line. Results indicate that by using available technology, such a transmission line can be used to generate 5-mV edges as sharp as 2 ps on lines with impedances of 50 Omega. In principle, with the high I0R products possible with the high-temperature superconductors, these rise/fall times may be reduced to below 1 ps.