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 .
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
DETAILED ACTION
This office action is in response to Election/Restriction filed on 08/03/26.
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 person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-10 and 35-43 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Fong et al. (US Pub. 2017/0092834).
As to claim 1 the prior art teaches a traveling wave parametric amplifier (TWPA) comprising: a plurality of Josephson junctions connected in series, the plurality of Josephson junctions comprising a first Josephson junction comprising:
a first superconducting electrode on a surface of a substrate (see fig 1-2 paragraph 0044-0050);
a second superconducting electrode that overlaps the first superconducting electrode (see fig 1-2 paragraph 0048-0054);
and a barrier sandwiched between overlapping sections of the first and second superconducting electrodes, the barrier defining a footprint over the surface of the substrate, the footprint having a tapered shape (see fig 1-3 paragraph 0051-0060).
As to claim 2 and 36 the prior art teaches wherein the tapered shape is triangular (see fig 2-3 paragraph 0058-0062).
As to claim 3 and 37 the prior art teaches wherein a base of the footprint overlaps a central region of the first superconducting electrode, and a central region of the second superconducting electrode overlaps an apex of the footprint (see fig 1-3 paragraph 0051-0055).
As to claim 4 and 38 the prior art teaches wherein the barrier comprises: a first boundary side that defines a base of the footprint and does not contact the first or second superconducting electrodes (see fig 1-2 paragraph 0045-0050);
and second and third boundary sides that define tapered edges of the footprint and contact the second superconducting electrode (see fig 1-2 paragraph 0053-0057).
As to claim 5 and 39 the prior art teaches comprising a transmission line that connects the plurality of Josephson junctions in series, wherein the first and second superconducting electrodes of the first Josephson junction are connected to the transmission line by respective superconducting patches (see fig 2-5 paragraph 0060-0064).
As to claim 6 and 40 the prior art teaches further comprising a pair of probe pads connected to the first Josephson junction (see fig 1-2 paragraph 0059-0062).
As to claim 7 and 41 the prior art teaches wherein each of the plurality of Josephson junctions comprises: a respective first superconducting electrode on the surface of the substrate (see fig 3-5 paragraph 0068-0072);
a respective second superconducting electrode that overlaps the respective first superconducting electrode (see fig 3-5 paragraph 0070-0074);
and a respective barrier sandwiched between overlapping sections of the first and second superconducting electrodes, the respective barrier defining a respective footprint over the surface of the substrate, the respective footprint having a tapered shape (see fig 3-5 paragraph 0072-0076).
As to claim 8 and 42, the prior art teaches wherein a portion of the first Josephson junction resides on the surface of the substrate, and each of the first superconducting electrode, the barrier, and the second superconducting electrode resides in contact with the surface (see fig 1-2 paragraph 0043-0048).
As to claim 9 the prior art teaches wherein the footprint is a first footprint, and the barrier at the portion of the first Josephson junction that is in contact with the surface of the substrate defines a second footprint on the surface of the substrate, the second footprint having a chevron shape (see fig 3-5 paragraph 0067-0071).
As to claim 10 and 43 the prior art teaches wherein the first and second superconducting electrodes are formed on the surface of the substrate using a double-angled metal deposition method (see fig 4-6 paragraph 0078-0082).
As to claim 35 the prior art teaches a method of manufacturing a traveling wave parametric amplifier (TWPA) comprising a plurality of Josephson junctions connected in series, the plurality of Josephson junctions comprising a first Josephson junction, the method comprising:
forming a first superconducting electrode of the first Josephson junction on a surface of a substrate (see fig 1-2 paragraph 0044-0050);
forming a second superconducting electrode of the first Josephson junction that overlaps the first superconducting electrode (see fig 1-2 paragraph 0048-0054);
and forming a barrier between overlapping sections of the first and second superconducting electrodes, the barrier defining a footprint over the surface of the substrate, the footprint having a tapered shape (see fig 1-3 paragraph 0051-0060).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BINH C TAT whose telephone number is 571 272-1908. The examiner can normally be reached on flex 7:00Am-8PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jack Chiang can be reached on 571 272-7483. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 703-872-9306.
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/BINH C TAT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2851
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