Prosecution Insights
Last updated: April 19, 2026
Application No. 18/609,952

DEVICES AND METHODS FOR ESTIMATING LOCALIZATION LENGTHS

Non-Final OA §101§103
Filed
Mar 19, 2024
Examiner
NASIR, TAQI R
Art Unit
2858
Tech Center
2800 — Semiconductors & Electrical Systems
Assignee
Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
87%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
2y 3m
To Grant
99%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 87% — above average
87%
Career Allow Rate
426 granted / 489 resolved
+19.1% vs TC avg
Moderate +13% lift
Without
With
+13.4%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 3m
Avg Prosecution
49 currently pending
Career history
538
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
4.7%
-35.3% vs TC avg
§103
47.2%
+7.2% vs TC avg
§102
26.0%
-14.0% vs TC avg
§112
12.7%
-27.3% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 489 resolved cases

Office Action

§101 §103
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 . Information Disclosure Statement The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 06/26/2025. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner. 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. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101 35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows: Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title. Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to a judicial exception (i.e., a law of nature, a natural phenomenon, or an abstract idea) without significantly more. As to Claim 1, Step 2A, Prong 1: Claim 1 includes normalizing the measured nonlocal conductance values to remove an effect of the attenuation caused by the at least one junction and extracting localization lengths based on the normalized nonlocal conductance values associated with the HSSQ device; and using a processor, estimating the localization lengths for the HSSQ device by a joint prior distribution enforcing smoothness over a function of gate voltages. These features are considered abstract ideas because they are directed towards mathematical calculations or relationships, because normalizing measured values, extracting parameters from data, estimating likelihoods and reinforcing smoothness using joint prior distributions are reasonably implemented with such mathematical concepts. Step 2A, Prong 2: The above identified abstract ideas are not reasonably integrated in a practical application as no claim feature reasonably implements or otherwise integrates the above features into required practical application. The additional elements of the claim are: obtaining measurements of nonlocal conductance values associated with the HSSQ device, a set of top gates formed, above the set of plunger gates and using processor to perform estimating. These additional elements do not reasonably integrate the above noted abstract idea into a practical application. Step 2B: Claim 1 includes normalizing the measured nonlocal conductance values to remove an effect of the attenuation caused by the at least one junction and extracting localization lengths based on the normalized nonlocal conductance values associated with the HSSQ device; and using a processor, estimating the localization lengths for the HSSQ device by a joint prior distribution enforcing smoothness over a function of gate voltages. These features are considered abstract ideas because they are directed towards mathematical calculations or relationships, because normalizing measured values, extracting parameters from data, estimating likelihoods and reinforcing smoothness using joint prior distributions are reasonably implemented with such mathematical concepts. The above noted additional elements amount to insufficient extra-solution activity because they do not integrate the abstract idea into a practical application and because they are conventional. Martinez et al. (W02022152373A1) teaches an apparatus for measuring a non-local conductance of a semiconductor component of a semiconductor-superconductor hybrid device, the semiconductor-superconductor hybrid device having a semiconductor component and a superconductor component, the superconductor component being configured to be capable of energy level hybridisation with the semiconductor component. The apparatus comprises: a processing unit; a data storage; and connection circuitry operably connectable to the semiconductor-superconductor hybrid device; wherein the data storage stores code which, when executed by the processing unit, causes the apparatus to perform operations comprising: applying a first gate voltage to a first gate electrode to gate a first terminal of the semiconductor component to an open regime; applying a second gate voltage to a second gate electrode to gate a second terminal of the semiconductor component to a tunnelling regime; applying a bias voltage to the first terminal; and while applying the first gate voltage, the second gate voltage, and the bias voltage, measuring a current through the second terminal. As to Claim 8, Step 2A, Prong 1: Claim 8 includes normalizing the measured nonlocal conductance values to remove an effect of the attenuation caused by the at least one junction and extracting localization lengths based on the normalized nonlocal conductance values associated with the HSSQ device; and using a processor, estimating the localization lengths for the HSSQ device by a joint prior distribution enforcing smoothness over a function of gate voltages. These features are considered abstract ideas because they are directed towards mathematical calculations or relationships, because normalizing measured values, extracting parameters from data, estimating likelihoods and reinforcing smoothness using joint prior distributions are reasonably implemented with such mathematical concepts. Step 2A, Prong 2: The above identified abstract ideas are not reasonably integrated in a practical application as no claim feature reasonably implements or otherwise integrates the above features into required practical application. The additional elements of the claim are: measuring nonlocal conductance values of sections of a superconducting wire associated with the HSSQ device by selectively supplying voltages to one or more of the sets of plunger gates and the set of top gates and using processor to perform estimating. These additional elements do not reasonably integrate the above noted abstract idea into a practical application. Step 2B: Claim 8 includes normalizing the measured nonlocal conductance values to remove an effect of the attenuation caused by the at least one junction and extracting localization lengths based on the normalized nonlocal conductance values associated with the HSSQ device; and using a processor, estimating the localization lengths for the HSSQ device by a joint prior distribution enforcing smoothness over a function of gate voltages. These features are considered abstract ideas because they are directed towards mathematical calculations or relationships, because normalizing measured values, extracting parameters from data, estimating likelihoods and reinforcing smoothness using joint prior distributions are reasonably implemented with such mathematical concepts. The above noted additional elements amount to insufficient extra-solution activity because they do not integrate the abstract idea into a practical application and because they are conventional. Martinez et al. (W02022152373A1) teaches an apparatus for measuring a non-local conductance of a semiconductor component of a semiconductor-superconductor hybrid device, the semiconductor-superconductor hybrid device having a semiconductor component and a superconductor component, the superconductor component being configured to be capable of energy level hybridisation with the semiconductor component. The apparatus comprises: a processing unit; a data storage; and connection circuitry operably connectable to the semiconductor-superconductor hybrid device; wherein the data storage stores code which, when executed by the processing unit, causes the apparatus to perform operations comprising: applying a first gate voltage to a first gate electrode to gate a first terminal of the semiconductor component to an open regime; applying a second gate voltage to a second gate electrode to gate a second terminal of the semiconductor component to a tunnelling regime; applying a bias voltage to the first terminal; and while applying the first gate voltage, the second gate voltage, and the bias voltage, measuring a current through the second terminal. As to Claim 14, Step 2A, Prong 1: Claim 14 includes normalizing the measured nonlocal conductance values to remove an effect of the attenuation caused by the at least one junction and extracting localization lengths based on the normalized nonlocal conductance values, based on the extracted localization lengths, estimating the localization lengths for the HSSQ device, characterizing a level of disorder in a hybrid superconductor-semiconductor quantum (HSSQ) device based on the estimated localization lengths. These features are considered abstract ideas because they are directed towards mathematical calculations or relationships, because normalizing measured values, extracting parameters, estimating values and characterizing a physical condition based on numerical results are reasonably implemented with such mathematical concepts. Step 2A, Prong 2: The above identified abstract ideas are not reasonably integrated in a practical application as no claim feature reasonably implements or otherwise integrates the above features into required practical application. The additional elements of the claim are: obtaining measurements of nonlocal conductance values associated with the HSSQ device and using processor to estimate localization lengths and characterize disorder. These additional elements do not reasonably integrate the above noted abstract idea into a practical application. Step 2B: Claim 14 includes normalizing the measured nonlocal conductance values to remove an effect of the attenuation caused by the at least one junction and extracting localization lengths based on the normalized nonlocal conductance values, based on the extracted localization lengths, estimating the localization lengths for the HSSQ device, characterizing a level of disorder in a hybrid superconductor-semiconductor quantum (HSSQ) device based on the estimated localization lengths. These features are considered abstract ideas because they are directed towards mathematical calculations or relationships, because normalizing measured values, extracting parameters, estimating values and characterizing a physical condition based on numerical results are reasonably implemented with such mathematical concepts. The above noted additional elements amount to insufficient extra-solution activity because they do not integrate the abstract idea into a practical application and because they are conventional. Martinez et al. (W02022152373A1) teaches an apparatus for measuring a non-local conductance of a semiconductor component of a semiconductor-superconductor hybrid device, the semiconductor-superconductor hybrid device having a semiconductor component and a superconductor component, the superconductor component being configured to be capable of energy level hybridisation with the semiconductor component. The apparatus comprises: a processing unit; a data storage; and connection circuitry operably connectable to the semiconductor-superconductor hybrid device; wherein the data storage stores code which, when executed by the processing unit, causes the apparatus to perform operations comprising: applying a first gate voltage to a first gate electrode to gate a first terminal of the semiconductor component to an open regime; applying a second gate voltage to a second gate electrode to gate a second terminal of the semiconductor component to a tunnelling regime; applying a bias voltage to the first terminal; and while applying the first gate voltage, the second gate voltage, and the bias voltage, measuring a current through the second terminal. Claim 2, 9, 15 adds specific normalization formula adding insufficient extra-solution activity and does not integrate the abstract idea into a practical application stands rejected for same reasons as claim 1, 8 and 14. Claims 3, 16 adds how measurements are taken adding insufficient extra-solution activity and does not integrate the abstract idea into a practical application stands rejected for same reasons as claims 1, 14. Claims 4, 10 add constructing a statistical model adding insufficient extra-solution activity and does not integrate the abstract idea into a practical application stands rejected for same reasons as claims 1, 8. Claims 5, 11 adds likelihood estimates adding insufficient extra-solution activity and does not integrate the abstract idea into a practical application stands rejected for same reasons as claims 1, 8. Claims 6, 12, 19 adds joint priors and smoothness constraints adding insufficient extra-solution activity and does not integrate the abstract idea into a practical application stands rejected for same reasons as claim 1, 8, 14. Claims 7, 13, 20 adds marginal/smoothness/ mean free path priors adding insufficient extra-solution activity and does not integrate the abstract idea into a practical application stands rejected for same reasons as claim 1, 8, 14. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 4. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action: A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102 of this title, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made. Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Martinez (WO2022152373A1) in view of A. R. Akhmerov Quantized Conductance at the Majorana Phase Transition in a Disordered Superconducting Wire Phys. Rev. Lett. 106, 057001 – Published 31 January, 2011. Regarding claim 1, Martinez teaches a method for estimating localization lengths in a hybrid superconductor-semiconductor quantum (HSSQ) device (“a "hybrid device", comprises a semiconductor component and a superconductor component, a structure capable of showing topological behavior such as Majorana zero modes, or other excitations useful for quantum computing applications” [0022]), wherein the HSSQ device comprises a set of plunger gates formed in a first layer of the HSSQ device and a set of top gates formed, above the set of plunger gates, in a second layer of the HSSQ device (fig. 2 (gate stack gate electrode 220 on top layer and “semiconductor component 212. A gate electrode for gating a region of the semiconductor component where the superconductor component is present may be referred to as a plunger gate” [0032-42])), the method comprising: obtaining measurements of nonlocal conductance values associated with the HSSQ device (method for measuring non local conductance of a semiconductor superconductor hybrid device [0024, 47-50]), wherein at least one junction associated with the HSSQ device attenuates one or more of the measured nonlocal conductance values associated with the HSSQ device (terminal gating into tunneling regimes [0011]), cutter gates defining tunnel barriers at terminal [0042-43] these gate defined junctions necessarily attenuate measured non local conductance); using a processor (fig. 3 (324)), Martinez doesn’t explicitly teach estimating the localization lengths for the HSSQ device by a joint prior distribution enforcing smoothness over a function of gate voltages and the extracted localization lengths for the HSSQ device, normalizing the measured nonlocal conductance values to remove an effect of the attenuation caused by the at least one junction and extracting localization lengths based on the normalized nonlocal conductance values However Akhmerov in a relevant art teaching superconducting wire teaches estimating the localization lengths for the device by a joint prior distribution enforcing smoothness over a function of gate voltages and the extracted localization lengths for the device (localization length and non local conductance in hybrid superconductor semiconductor nanowires vary smoothly and continuously with gate controlled parameters such as Fermi energy page 3 discussion, and that abrupt variations are physically implausible, further Akhmerov physically required smoothness, to enforce such smoothness when estimating localization lengths across gate voltages. Employing a joint estimation framework that constraints variation between neighboring gate voltage points, including through the use of joint prior distribution, represents a predictable mathematical technique for incorporating known physical constraints into parameter estimation), normalizing the measured nonlocal conductance values to remove an effect of the attenuation caused by the at least one junction and extracting localization lengths based on the normalized nonlocal conductance values normalizing the measured nonlocal conductance values to remove an effect of the attenuation caused by the at least one junction (scattering matrix formulation showing dependence on transmission page 2, non-local conductance defined in terms matrices page 3, suppression of non local conductance by tunnel barriers an contacts page 3 test following eq 12. Teaching factoring out junction effects to analyze intrinsic conductance decay, which corresponds to normalizing non local conductance normalizing or otherwise compensating for junction induced attenuation) and extracting localization lengths based on the normalized nonlocal conductance values (extraction of a characteristic decay / localization length from conductance behavior, Lyapunov exponents governing decay page 2, relation between transmission and decay length page 2, exponential decay of conductance with wire length page 2 discussion, identification of decay length as disorder dependent characteristics page 3). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply the analytical teaching of Akhmerov to the non local conductance measurements obtained using the device and methods of Martinez to gain advantage of a predictable use of known analytical framework to interpret known measurement data and results in the technical benefit of converting raw non local conductance measurement into intrinsic, disorder related physical parameters of the hybrid device. PNG media_image1.png 287 587 media_image1.png Greyscale PNG media_image2.png 504 495 media_image2.png Greyscale Regarding claims 2, 9, 15, Martinez does not explicitly teach to remove an effect of the attenuation caused by the at least one junction comprises normalizing each of the measured nonlocal conductance values by a square root of a product of respective local conductance values. However Akhmerov in a relevant art teaching superconducting wire teaches to remove an effect of the attenuation caused by the at least one junction comprises normalizing each of the measured nonlocal conductance values by a square root of a product of respective local conductance values (non local conductance in a hybrid super conductor semiconductor nanowire is determined by scattering and transmission through both junctions connecting the wire to external leads, further formulates non local conductance using scattering matrices and transmission matrices that explicitly depends on the transmission properties of each junction page 2, 3. Further attenuation of non local conductance arise when either junction has reduced transparency, such that the measured non local conductance reflects a multiplicative contribution from both junctions, rather than solely intrinsic transport properties of the wire page 3 discussion after eq. 12, meaningful physical interpretation of non local conductance therefore required separating intrinsic decay behavior of the wire from extrinsic attenuation by the junctions, because the non local conductance depends multiplicatively on the conductance contributions associated with each junction, the junction induced attenuation can be removed by mathematically factoring out the conductance contributions of the individual junctions). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply the analytical teaching of Akhmerov to the non local conductance measurements obtained using the device and methods of Martinez to gain advantage of a predictable use of known analytical framework to interpret known measurement data and results in the technical benefit of converting raw non local conductance measurement into intrinsic, disorder related physical parameters of the hybrid device. Regarding claims 3, 16, Martinez does not explicitly teach wherein the measurements of the nonlocal conductance values associated with the HSSQ device are obtained by measuring nonlocal conductance values of sections of a superconducting wire associated with the HSSQ device by selectively supplying voltages to one or more of the set of plunger gates and the set of top gates, respectively fig. 2 (gate stack gate electrode 220 on top layer and “semiconductor component 212. A gate electrode for gating a region of the semiconductor component where the superconductor component is present may be referred to as a plunger gate” [0032-42] different sections of the superconducting wire are electrostatically defined and controlled by multiple gate electrodes, including plunger gates and overlying gate structures arranged above wire fig. 2A [0039-43], selectively applying voltages into gates to locally tune carrier density , coupling strength and tunneling regimes along the length of the wire while performing non local conductance measurements [0042,48, 56-59]). Regarding claims 4, 10, does not teach constructing a statistical model based on an implicit description of the measurements. However, Akhmerov in a relevant art teaching superconducting wire teaches constructing a statistical model based on an implicit description of the measurements (statistical description of conductance using scattering matrices and transmission eigenvalues page. 2, representation of non local conductance in terms of transmission matrices without explicit enumeration of every microscopic configuration page. 3, use of ensemble averaged and implicitly defined statistical quantities to describe measured conductance page3 discussion after eq. 12. Teaching constructing and using a statistical model in which measured non local conductance’s values are described implicitly, through underlying statistical parameters and distributions rather than explicit deterministic formulas for each measurement instance). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply the analytical teaching of Akhmerov to the non local conductance measurements obtained using the device and methods of Martinez to gain advantage of a predictable use of known analytical framework to interpret known measurement data and results in the technical benefit of converting raw non local conductance measurement into intrinsic, disorder related physical parameters of the hybrid device. Regarding claims 5, 11, Martinez does not explicitly teach wherein the statistical model comprises estimates of likelihood that are used to extract localization lengths However, Akhmerov in a relevant art teaching superconducting wire teaches wherein the statistical model comprises estimates of likelihood that are used to extract localization lengths (statistical description of conductance using scattering matrices and transmission eigenvalues page. 2, representation of non local conductance in terms of transmission matrices without explicit enumeration of every microscopic configuration page. 3. Extraction of characteristic decay (localization) lengths from conductive behaviors described by these statistical quantities’ pages 2-3, discussion of Lyapunov exponents and decay parameters. For a given set of system parameters, corresponding to a given gate voltage configuration, the measured non local conductance is associated with a statistical distribution from which physical parameters such as localization length maybe inferred. Each gate voltage configuration corresponds to a distinct transport regime and therefore to a distinct statistical description of conductance). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply the analytical teaching of Akhmerov to the non local conductance measurements obtained using the device and methods of Martinez to gain advantage of a predictable use of known analytical framework to interpret known measurement data and results in the technical benefit of converting raw non local conductance measurement into intrinsic, disorder related physical parameters of the hybrid device. Regarding claims 6, 12, 19, Martinez does not explicitly teach wherein the joint prior distribution is constructed by starting with independent local priors, in which a distribution over the extracted localization lengths is assumed to be a product of the independent local priors, and adding one or more of a set of constraints onto the joint prior distribution such that a rate of change of the function is restricted to a specified maximum value. However, Akhmerov in a relevant art teaching superconducting wire teaches wherein the joint prior distribution is constructed by starting with independent local priors, in which a distribution over the extracted localization lengths is assumed to be a product of the independent local priors, and adding one or more of a set of constraints onto the joint prior distribution such that a rate of change of the function is restricted to a specified maximum value (transport properties of hybrid superconductor semiconductor nanowires are governed by Lyapunov exponents and associated decay (localization) lengths that vary continuously with tuning parameters such as Fermi energy, which corresponds to electrostatic gate control (page 3 discussion with page 4 discussion of disorder driven transitions). Abrupt changes in transport length scales are unphysical and that such length scales evolve smoothly as system parameters are tuned. Further modeling transport using statistical ensembles in which the conductance behavior at each parameter setting is describe by probabilistic derived from scattering matrices and transmission eigenvalues page 2, page 3. Each gate voltage configuration corresponds to a distinct statistical description of transport behavior, teaching that localization lengths corresponding to different gate voltage configurations may be treated as independent local quantities at the measurement level, while being subject to physical constraints that enforce smooth variation with tuning parameters). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply the analytical teaching of Akhmerov to the non local conductance measurements obtained using the device and methods of Martinez to gain advantage of a predictable use of known analytical framework to interpret known measurement data and results in the technical benefit of converting raw non local conductance measurement into intrinsic, disorder related physical parameters of the hybrid device. Regarding claims 7, 13, 20, Martinez does not explicitly teach wherein the independent local priors include a marginal prior with respect to values of the extracted localization lengths, a smoothness prior with respect to correlation among the values of the extracted localization lengths, and a mean free path prior with respect to values of neighboring extracted localization lengths. However, Akhmerov in a relevant art teaching superconducting wire teaches wherein the independent local priors include a marginal prior with respect to values of the extracted localization lengths, a smoothness prior with respect to correlation among the values of the extracted localization lengths, and a mean free path prior with respect to values of neighboring extracted localization lengths (transport in hybrid super conductor semiconductor nanowires is governed by localization lengths that are physically constrained by mean free path and disorder strength, and that these quantities determine the decay of non local conductance along the wire page2 discussion of Lyapunov exponents and decay parameters, page 3, localization length is a physically bounded quantity determined by microscopic parameters of the system and that its values are constrained by the mean free path of quasiparticles in the disordered wire, localization lengths vary smoothly with tuning parameters such as Fermi energy (gate voltage) and that neighboring operating points correspond to closely related physical regimes page 3-4). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply the analytical teaching of Akhmerov to the non local conductance measurements obtained using the device and methods of Martinez to gain advantage of a predictable use of known analytical framework to interpret known measurement data and results in the technical benefit of converting raw non local conductance measurement into intrinsic, disorder related physical parameters of the hybrid device. Regarding claim 8, the method recited is intrinsic to the apparatus recited in claim 1, as disclosed by Martinez (WO2022152373A1) in view of A. R. Akhmerov Quantized Conductance at the Majorana Phase Transition in a Disordered Superconducting Wire Phys. Rev. Lett. 106, 057001 – Published 31 January, 2011 as the recited method steps will be performed during the normal operation of the apparatus, as discussed above with regard to claim 1. Martinez as modified further teaches measuring nonlocal conductance values of sections of a superconducting wire associated with the HSSQ device by selectively supplying voltages to one or more of the set of plunger gates and the set of top gates, respectively (measuring non local conductance values of the hybrid device by selectively applying voltages to one or more plunger gates and top gates to define and tune sections of the superconducting wire while performing transport measurements between spatially separated terminals [0024, 47-50, 56]). Regarding claim 14, the method recited is intrinsic to the apparatus recited in claim 1, as disclosed by Martinez (WO2022152373A1) in view of A. R. Akhmerov Quantized Conductance at the Majorana Phase Transition in a Disordered Superconducting Wire Phys. Rev. Lett. 106, 057001 – Published 31 January, 2011 as the recited method steps will be performed during the normal operation of the apparatus, as discussed above with regard to claim 1. Martinez does not explicitly teach charactering a level of disorder in the device based specifically on estimated localization lengths. However, Akhmerov in a relevant art teaching superconducting wire teaches charactering a level of disorder in the device based specifically on estimated localization lengths (localization length is a direct measure of disorder strength in the wire and that change s in localization length correspond to different disorder regimes of the system page 2,3, further non local conductance measurement may be used to extract localization lengths and thereby characterize the degree of disorder present in the device). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply the analytical teaching of Akhmerov to the non local conductance measurements obtained using the device and methods of Martinez to gain advantage of a predictable use of known analytical framework to interpret known measurement data and results in the technical benefit of converting raw non local conductance measurement into intrinsic, disorder related physical parameters of the hybrid device. Regarding claim 17, Martinez does not explicitly teach estimating by a joint prior distribution enforcing smoothness over a function of gate voltages and the normalized localization lengths. However Akhmerov in a relevant art teaching superconducting wire teaches estimating by a joint prior distribution enforcing smoothness over a function of gate voltages and the normalized localization lengths (localization length and non local conductance in hybrid superconductor semiconductor nanowires vary smoothly and continuously with gate controlled parameters such as Fermi energy page 3 discussion, and that abrupt variations are physically implausible, further Akhmerov physically required smoothness, to enforce such smoothness when estimating localization lengths across gate voltages. Employing a joint estimation framework that constraints variation between neighboring gate voltage points, including through the use of joint prior distribution, represents a predictable mathematical technique for incorporating known physical constraints into parameter estimation). Regarding claim 18, Martinez does not explicitly teach a statistical model based on an implicit description of the measurements of the nonlocal conductance values, and wherein the statistical model comprises estimates of likelihood that are used to extract localization lengths at each of the gate voltages independently. However, Akhmerov in a relevant art teaching superconducting wire teaches constructing a statistical model based on an implicit description of the measurements (statistical description of conductance using scattering matrices and transmission eigenvalues page. 2, representation of non local conductance in terms of transmission matrices without explicit enumeration of every microscopic configuration page. 3, use of ensemble averaged and implicitly defined statistical quantities to describe measured conductance page3 discussion after eq. 12. Teaching constructing and using a statistical model in which measured non local conductance’s values are described implicitly, through underlying statistical parameters and distributions rather than explicit deterministic formulas for each measurement instance), wherein the statistical model comprises estimates of likelihood that are used to extract localization lengths (statistical description of conductance using scattering matrices and transmission eigenvalues page. 2, representation of non local conductance in terms of transmission matrices without explicit enumeration of every microscopic configuration page. 3. Extraction of characteristic decay (localization) lengths from conductive behaviors described by these statistical quantities’ pages 2-3, discussion of Lyapunov exponents and decay parameters. For a given set of system parameters, corresponding to a given gate voltage configuration, the measured non local conductance is associated with a statistical distribution from which physical parameters such as localization length maybe inferred. Each gate voltage configuration corresponds to a distinct transport regime and therefore to a distinct statistical description of conductance) It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply the analytical teaching of Akhmerov to the non local conductance measurements obtained using the device and methods of Martinez to gain advantage of a predictable use of known analytical framework to interpret known measurement data and results in the technical benefit of converting raw non local conductance measurement into intrinsic, disorder related physical parameters of the hybrid device. Conclusion The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Winkler (US. 20210126181) discloses SEMICONDUCTOR-SUPERCONDUCTOR HYBRID DEVICE, ITS MANUFACTURE AND USES. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TAQI R NASIR whose telephone number is (571)270-1425. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM-5PM EST M-F. 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, Lee Rodak can be reached at (571) 270-5628. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /TAQI R NASIR/ Examiner, Art Unit 2858 /LEE E RODAK/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2858
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Prosecution Timeline

Mar 19, 2024
Application Filed
Jan 31, 2026
Non-Final Rejection — §101, §103 (current)

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