In 2023, about 4.4% (176 terawatt-hours) of total energy consumption in the United States was by data centers that are essential for processing large quantities of information. Of that 176 TWh, approximately 100 TWh (57%) was used by CPU and GPU equipment. Energy requirements have escalated substantially in the past decade and will only continue to grow, making the development of energy-efficient computing crucial.
Superconducting electronics have arisen as a promising alternative for classical and quantum computing, although their full exploitation for high-end computing requires a dramatic reduction in the amount of wiring linking ambient temperature electronics and low-temperature superconducting circuits. To make systems that are both larger and more streamlined, replacing commonplace components such as semiconductors with superconducting versions could be of immense value.
It's a challenge that has captivated MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center senior research scientist Jagadeesh Moodera and his colleagues, who described a significant breakthrough in a recent Nature Electronics paper, "Efficient superconducting diodes and rectifiers for quantum circuitry."
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