This paper proposes a successive-approximation-register (SAR) analog-to-digital converter (ADC) featuring a gain-boosting dynamic comparator design and a low-delay SAR logic. The proposed comparator incorporates positive feedback in the pre-amplifier, which enables high gain during the integration phase, thereby improving energy efficiency. Meanwhile, to ensure sufficient settling time for the internal capacitive digital-to-analog converter (CDAC), an asynchronous SAR logic with low logic delay in the SAR logic loop is implemented. Accordingly, a prototype ADC is manufactured using 28-nm CMOS technology, which achieves a power consumption of 860 μW at a 75 MHz sampling frequency. Moreover, the measured signal-to-noise and distortion ratio (SNDR) of the prototype at the Nyquist frequency is 60.9 dB, which translates to a Walden figure of merit (FOMW) of 12.7 fJ/conversion-step.

This paper reports an 8-bit current steering-type cryogenic digital-to-analog converter (DAC) module using HLMC 40nm low-power (40LP) technology for fast qubit initialization in quantum computers. Based on the generic design platform generated from our cryo-CMOS compact model, we optimize the circuit to ensure its correct function with temperature-insensitive non-linearity. Benefiting from the integration of the nA-range on-chip current reference and appropriate gate sizing, a low power consumption of 13.8 $\mu$W under the mixed power supply of l.1 V/1.8V is achieved in this DAC design with an active area of 0.0074 mm2. With the realization of the stable output range of 6 mV and fast sampling rate of 140 MS/s at low temperatures, our cryo-DAC is able to manipulate the physical qubit, hence laying a solid foundation for practical large-scale quantum computing applications.

Spintronics is regarded as a promising solution for resolving the major challenging issues related to the scaling of Si-based complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) technology as it offers the advantages of combing the spin and charge degrees of freedom. After decades of progress, the quintessence to achieve practical low-dissipation applications lies in the ability to manipulate magnetic states by electric field via several different physical mechanisms. Among them, the emergence of the spin-orbit coupling engineering has been shown to dramatically reduce energy dissipation and improve the performance as well as to multiply spintronic device possibilities and functionalities for a new generation of ultralow-power nonvolatile spintronic systems. This article provides a review of the current development including fundamental physics and experimental implementations of electric-field-controlled ferromagnetism in dilute magnetic semiconductors, voltage control of magnetic anisotropy, spin-orbit-torque-assisted magnetization switching, and antiferromagnetic (AFM) material-based spin-orbitronic systems. We provide an assessment in terms of scaling of energy, speed, and size. Finally, we offer an outlook of electric-field-controlled spintronic applications, particularly in view of their integration with CMOS to form hybrid spintronic circuits.