Modelling high-Tc electronics

This Review examines methods to model Josephson devices such as arrays of superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) and rows within two-dimensional superconducting quantum interference filters or SQIFs. The emphasis is on high temperature superconducting (HTS) devices, though the techniques apply for any operating temperature. The methods use freely-available and proven software to first extract all self and mutual inductances of the thin-film device, and then to incorporate these data, plus junction models and thermal noise sources into an equivalent circuit for Josephson simulation. The inductance extraction stage also estimates the effective areas of each loop in a structure and also the variation of inductance as temperature changes, due to the varying penetration depth. The final post-processing stage can yield current–voltage, voltage-field and field spectral density responses. The Review also touches briefly on the simulation of a simple model for a terahertz single-junction HTS mixer and also looks at the behaviour of typical hysteretic and non-hysteric HTS RF SQUIDs.