Abstract

ICT has witnessed an explosive evolution in this era. However, together with the revolution in our lives that we know, we got also an impact on environment (e.g,, carbon dioxide production by global ICT is estimated to be 55% of carbon dioxide production by aviation).
Superconducting digital electronics, requiring four order of magnitude less power, is a promising solution for low-impact ICT and extreme HPC that is worth investigating. Although it underwent less development than traditional CMOS electronics, it is definitively more mature (and requires far less extreme conditions) than futuristic alternatives such as quantum computers. Indeed, superconducting digital electronics is actually used in real-world applications (see, e.g., Hypres, a world’s leading developer of traditional superconductor electronics from the USA) and also for developing digital readout and control over superconducting quantum processor.

Superconducting ICT is interesting for Europe also for another reason. Nano-electronics development is currently dominated by USA and China, with EU following with little hope to cover the gap. Superconducting ICT could be the good occasion for Europe to get an advantage and become a leader in this field.

A relatively small effort in the field of superconducting digital electronics can reap huge advancements.