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accommodate, innovative use of analogue
circuit design has now been shown to be
the basis for a new generation of state-of-
the-art low power circuits from amplifiers to
data converters and the whole spectrum of
analogue and mixed signal devices”.
[ Reference: Tyler, N., ‘Quantum Effect Technology
Breakthrough in Analogue Circuit Design’, New
Electronics, 4th. December 2023 ]
Purple Bronze holds Key to perfect Quantum
Switches
Research at the University of Bristol has
uncovered a phenomenon in purple bronze, a
unique one-dimensional metal, which could
pave the way for the development of ‘perfect
quantum switches’ capable of shifting between
insulator and superconductor states.
Quantum Tunnelling eliminates Thermal Noise In this material, which has been found to harbour
in Analogue Circuit Design both of these opposing electronic states, minor
changes, possibly induced by small stimuli such
Silicon Intervention has announced the
as heat or light, can instantly switch the material
successful demonstration of eliminating
from an insulating state with zero conductivity to a
thermal noise in analogue circuits using the
superconducting state with unlimited conductivity
principle of quantum tunnelling.
and vice-versa. This phenomenon, referred to
Test silicon, developed in conjunction with the as ‘emergent symmetry’ holds the potential for
University of British Columbia, was fabricated by the creation of ideal On/Off switches in quantum
Global Foundries in a standard 22nm FDSOI CMOS technology.
process via CMC Microsystems.
Despite the complexity of the material’s resistance
Silicon Intervention developed a platform at different temperatures, its magnetoresistance
approach to leveraging the advantages inherent exhibits an unexpected simplicity which is
in analogue processing functions, which it has consistent regardless of the direction of current
named ‘The New Analog’. or field, maintaining a perfect linear temperature
dependence down to the superconducting
Martin Mallinson, Chief Scientist and Founder of
transition. Initially this behaviour could not be
Silicon Intervention, explains:
explained, but later it was hypothesised that the
“ Un-switched capacitor-based signal resistive upturn may be caused by interference
processing that exhibits no thermal noise between conduction electrons and ‘dark exitons’,
is a means to achieve the lowest possible a hypothesis which has since been proved.
current consumption in high-performance
In the future it is envisaged that switches could be
signal processing, and the use of quantum
created in quantum circuits in which tiny stimuli
tunnelling found within thin gate oxides in
induce profound, orders-of-magnitude changes
today’s advanced CMOS processes can be
in the switch resistance.
used to great advantage in achieving just this.
In collaboration with UBC and CMC, under [ Reference: Fowle, H., ‘Future Quantum Switches
the MITACS programme, we have developed found in rare Metal’, Electronic Specifier, 23rd.
a proof-of-concept chip that clearly November 2023 ]
demonstrates this valuable information”.
Allan Cox, CEO of Silicon Intervention, adds:
“ The New Analog platform has at its roots
fundamental principles, including quantum
tunnelling, taking advantage of process
scaling, and, just as importantly, also
leveraging the non-idealities found in CMOS
nodes. And while tunnelling in transistor
gate oxides becomes an increasingly
difficult problem for the digital designer to
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