Introduction

In this chapter, superconductive electronics are introduced as a promising beyond-CMOS technology. The history of superconductive electronic circuits is briefly reviewed, highlighting similarities and differences in the development of semiconductor-based electronics. Modern computing systems are often categorized based on the total power consumption. The increasing importance of large-scale, stationary computing systems is emphasized. The advantages of superconductive electronics for this important application area are described. Additional application areas, such as space-based electronics and quantum computing, are also introduced. Finally, the rest of this book is outlined.