DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election, without traverse, of Group I: claims 1-10, in the “Response to Election / Restrict. ion Filed - 02/17/2026”, is acknowledged.
This office action considers claims 1-14 are thus pending for prosecution, of which, non-elected claims 11-14 are withdrawn, and elected claims 1-10 are examined on their merits.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Notes: when present, semicolon separated fields within the parenthesis (; ;) represent, for example, as (112; Fig 1; [0062]) = (element 112; Figure No. 1; Paragraph No. [0062]). For brevity, the texts “Element”, “Figure No.” and “Paragraph No.” shall be excluded, though; additional clarification notes may be added within each field. The number of fields may be fewer or more than three indicated above. T The primary reference citation may not be preceded by the inventor tag, wherein the other reference citation will carry inventor tag. These conventions are used throughout this document.
Claim 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Goetz; Jan et al., (US 20220188683 A1); hereinafter Goetz).
Regarding claim 1, Goetz teaches a tunable dissipative circuit (Fig. 1, [0046]) for shifting a frequency (by Phase shifter 109; Fig 1; [0076])) of a radio frequency signal or microwave signal in a cryogenically cooled environment (labelled as cryostat; Fig 1; [0045]), the tunable dissipative circuit : comprising (see the entire document, specifically, any disclosure related to the implementations as described in [0046] Fig 1,, and as cited below):
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Goetz Figure 1
- one or more couplers (103, COUPLING, 112, 120; 103 coupling between 101 and 109, COUPLING coupling between 101 and 106 or 104; 112 coupled to 113; [0062]; 120 being externally coupled circuit; wherein 103 being a controllable coupler [0064]) for making respective one or more couplings to a propagation path (line, specifically "external transmission line" in [0039]) of said radio frequency signal ([0074]) or microwave signal (of 104),
- a tunable resonance element (113 of 101; [0046] or 113, [0062-0063]) coupled to said propagation path by at least one (("CUPLING" in Fig. 1) of said one or more couplers (103, COUPLING, 112, 120),
- a controllable dissipator element (106; [0064]; labelled as Tunable Attenuator with a function of tunable dissipation) coupled to said propagation path by at least one ("CUPLING" in Fig. 1) of said one or more couplers (103, COUPLING, 112, 120),
- a first control input (112; Fig 1; [0062]) to said tunable resonance element (113/101) for changing a resonance frequency of said tunable resonance element with a first control signal coupled to said first control input (112), and
- a second control input (107; [0065]) to said controllable dissipator element (106) for changing a damping rate ([0071]) of said tunable dissipative circuit with a second control signal coupled to said second control input (107).
Regarding claim 2, Goetz as applied to the tunable dissipative circuit according to claim 1, further teaches, wherein: the tunable resonance element (101/113; [0062-0063]) and the controllable dissipator element (106; [0064]) are the same circuit element, coupled to said propagation path ("external transmission line" in [0039])” by at least one of said one or more couplers (103, COUPLING, 112, 120).
Regarding claim 3, Goetz as applied to the tunable dissipative circuit according to claim 1, further teaches, wherein: the tunable resonance element (113 of 101; [0062-0063]) and the controllable dissipator element (106; [0064]) constitute a series, in which one (112) of said one or more couplers (103, COUPLING, 112, 120) couples the tunable resonance element (113/101) to said propagation path (line, specifically "external transmission line" in [0039]) and another one (COUPLING) of said one or more couplers couples the controllable dissipator element (106) to said tunable resonance element (113 of 101).
Regarding claim 4, Goetz as applied to the tunable dissipative circuit according to claim 1, further teaches, wherein: the controllable dissipator element (106; Fig [0064]) comprises a constant dissipator (106; [0064]; labelled as Tunable Attenuator with a function of tunable dissipation) and a controllable coupling (COUPLING) that couples said constant dissipator to the tunable resonance element (103 of 101).
Regarding claim 5, Goetz as applied to the tunable dissipative circuit according to claim 1, further teaches, wherein:
- said tunable resonance element (113/111) comprises a combination of a constant-frequency resonance part ( to handle signal from 104) and a part with tunable inductance (of SQUID; [0048]) (or capacitance ).
Regarding claim 6, Goetz as applied to the tunable dissipative circuit according to claim 5, further teaches, wherein:
- said part with tunable inductance or capacitance is a SQUID (SQUID; [0048]), and
- said first control input (112) comprises an inductor configured to controllably change a magnetic flux through said SQUID ([0048]).
Regarding claim 7, Goetz as applied to the tunable dissipative circuit according to claim 1, further teaches, wherein:
- said controllable dissipator element (106) comprises a Quantum Circuit Refrigerator ([0065]: the tunable attenuator 106 comprises a SINIS structure, as well as a second biasing circuit 107 for applying a second bias to said SINIS structure.), which includes at least one normal conductor - insulator - superconductor junction, hereinafter NIS junction, and
- said second control input (107) comprises a control voltage input for providing a bias voltage (Fig; 7; [0067]: the other superconductor part is coupled to a second biasing circuit 107. The notion V.sub.qcr is used for the value of the bias voltage in the second biasing circuit 107.) to said NIS junction for controlling the probability of photon-assisted electron tunnelling ([0070]) through said NIS junction.
Regarding claim 8, Goetz as applied to the tunable dissipative circuit according to claim 1, further teaches, wherein:
- the tunable resonance element (113/101) and the controllable dissipator element (106; Fig [0064]) are parts of a network of circuit elements ( depicted in Fig 1) that includes also other circuit elements (109, 111,120, control computers, interfaces), so that said one or more couplers (103, COUPLING, 112, 120) form couplings between the tunable resonance element (13/11), the controllable dissipator element (106), and said other circuit elements (109, 111,120, control computers, interfaces).
Regarding claim 9, Goetz quantum processing circuit comprising at least one tunable dissipative circuit (Fig 1; SQUID Superconducting QUantum Interference Device; 0048)) as applied according to claim 1, supra (detailed in Fig ,[0062-0063]).
Regarding claim 10, Goetz as applied to the processing circuit (SQUID; [0048]:) according to claim 9, further teaches, wherein:
- the quantum processing circuit comprises a controllable circuit element (Control Computers; Fig 1; [0045]), the controllability of which relies upon at least one of: frequency multiplexing of signals, frequency modulation of signals ([0089]: multiplex the reference for many waveform generators, a SIS or Josephson mixer can be used as a frequency multiplier) , and
- the propagating path (107) in the tunable dissipative circuit (106) goes to or from said controllable circuit element (Control Computers; Fig 1; [0045]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See form PTO-892.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MOAZZAM HOSSAIN whose telephone number is (571)270-7960. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F: 8:30AM - 6:00 PM. EST.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See form PTO-892.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JULIO J MALDONADO whose telephone number is (571)272-1864. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 8:00AM - 4:30PM. EST.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Julio J. Maldonado can be reached on 571-272-1864. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MOAZZAM HOSSAIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2898
March 3, 2026
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