noun
- Plural of cryotron; electronic devices that use superconductivity to switch or amplify electrical signals at very low temperatures.
Usage: technical; electronics; largely historical; more common in mid-20th century computing research
Examples
- Cryotrons were experimental components in early computer research during the 1960s.
- The laboratory tested cryotrons cooled to near absolute zero to demonstrate superconducting switches.
- Before transistors became dominant, scientists explored cryotrons as potential computing elements.
- Cryotrons required liquid helium cooling systems, making them impractical for widespread use.