Microchip electronics for perfect supercomputers

Electronic circuits designed by Russian physicists can reduce electricity consumption by one million times in supercomputers.

This invention creates the ability to design and create supercomputer more perfect and cheaper.

Scientists from the Institute of Nuclear Physics and the Department of Physics at the National University of Lomonosov (MGU) have invented a new superconducting chip for supercomputers so that it becomes "smarter". and more economical. Electronic circuits are designed for digital logic circuits of supercomputers - devices that process information in digital form.

Modern supercomputers have very high power consumption, and this is a big problem that hinders development in this direction. The problem is not only energy consumption but also the amount of heat generated by supercomputers requiring large cooling devices to ensure operation. Currently, each supercomputer consumes an average of 0.5MW, which is comparable to the consumption of a small town.

This problem can be partially solved by using superconducting parts with 3-4 times less energy consumption. For more than 50 years, international scientists, including Russian experts, have focused on solving this problem. However, if using traditional technologies, it is impossible to design smaller and faster devices.

Physicists of Moscow have invented a new basic component for the memory of supercomputers called ' Josephson coupling ' with ferromagnetic materials.

In this coupling, between superconducting electrodes, thin layers of insulating, superconducting and ferromagnetic materials are arranged. This technology allows solving important problems: superconducting materials are not compatible with ferromagnetic materials. The problem is that: ferromagnetic materials amplify magnetic fields, and superconductivity can be destroyed even in a relatively weak magnetic field.

Russian physicists hope that, with this invention, they will create compact and faster superconducting memory. Such a lack of memory is a serious obstacle that does not allow the widespread use of existing digital superconducting technologies."This technology solution will reduce the power consumption of supercomputers by 6 times" - new technology developers are convinced.