  This paper explores the potential of cryogenic computing and superconducting
electronics as promising alternatives to traditional semiconductor devices. As
semiconductor devices face challenges such as increased leakage currents and
reduced performance at higher temperatures, these novel technologies offer high
performance and low power computation. Cryogenic computing operates at
ultra-low temperatures near 77 K, leading to lower leakage currents and
improved electron mobility. On the other hand, superconducting electronics,
operating near 0 K, allow electrons to flow without resistance, offering the
potential for ultra-low-power, high-speed computation. This study presents a
comprehensive performance modeling and analysis of these technologies and
provides insights into their potential benefits and limitations. We implement
models of in-order and out-of-order cores operating at high clock frequencies
associated with superconducting electronics and cryogenic computing in gem5. We
evaluate the performance of these components using workloads representative of
real-world applications like NPB, SPEC CPU2006, and GAPBS. Our results show the
potential speedups achievable by these components and the limitations posed by
cache bandwidth. This work provides valuable insights into the performance
implications and design trade-offs associated with cryogenic and
superconducting technologies, laying the foundation for future research in this
field using gem5.
