Hypres, a manufacturer of Superconducting MicroElectronics (SME) technology, has selected Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and Sunpower to develop preliminary designs for a compact, ruggedized cryocooler. Completion of the design will be a major milestone in the program to develop a cryopackage meeting the requirements of Joint Tactical Radio Systems (JTRS) Cluster 1. The cryocooler subsystem is an essential component of an all-digital RF transceiver being developed by Hypres for the DoD’s JTRS program. The subsystem will provide the mechanical assembly, electrical circuitry, and the thermal environment required by superconducting microelectronics circuits.

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Once cooled, SME circuits require very little operating power. What's more, the very low operating temperature will enable orders-of-magnitude improvement in performance of the all-digital RF transceiver currently undergoing development at Hypres. The SME technology will enable the elimination of most analog front-end circuitry devices so that direct conversion at the front end becomes possible. Direct conversion of the wireless signal at RF frequencies from the analog to digital domain at the front end represents a major shift in the basic paradigm of wireless communications. Digitizing the signal at the antenna—known as direct digitization— results in a much more robust radio system, opening up opportunities for dealing more efficiently with complex waveforms.

At the end of this design phase, Hypres will award a contract to one of the three companies to continue development of the prototype cryocooler. The entire program is to be completed within two years. A successful prototype demonstration will be followed by a manufacturing phase, with low-rate initial production followed by full-scale production.