Superconducting noise discriminator

This patent describes a noise limiter for limiting noise imposed on one of two binary states distorted by the noise. It comprises a transmission line carrying a composite signal comprising binary signals and noise; a signal source connected to the transmission line and producing on the transmission line a sequence of the binary signals, each of the binary signals produced on the transmission line being selected to be one of a first voltage level and a second voltage level; and a superconductive thin film held at or below its superconductive transition temperature and connected between the transmission line and a predetermined potential, wherein the so connected superconductive thin film has current and resistance characteristics such that the thin film is superconductive when the binary signals are selected to be at the first voltage level and such that the thin film exhibits a finite resistance substantially less than a normal resistance of the thin film when the binary signals are selected to be at the second voltage level