Systematic modification of electrical and superconducting properties of YBCO and nano-patterning of high-<i>T</i><sub>C</sub> superconducting thin films by light-ion irradiation

Author(s): Johannes D. Pedarnig, Marius Bodea, Bernd Steiger, Wilhelm Markowitsch, Wolfgang Lang
Abstract: Irradiation of high-temperature superconducting (HTS) YBa₂Cu₃O_7-δ (YBCO) thin films with 75 keV He⁺ ions leads to a quasi-exponential increase of the in-plane (ρ_ab) and the out-of-plane (ρ_c) resistivity in the normal state and to a non-linear decrease of the critical temperature T_c with ion dose. In situ electrical measurements at room temperature reveal an irradiation-induced reduction of resistivity anisotropy ρ_c/ρ_ab and a slight relaxation of film resistivity after the ion irradiation is stopped. Ex situ measurements show a stretched-exponential relaxation of T_c and normal state resistivity that continues for several weeks after the ion irradiation. Irradiation of YBCO thin films by low-energy He⁺ ions through stencil masks results in local modification of the electrical and superconducting properties of the HTS material. We demonstrate that masked ion-beam lithography enables to produce structures smaller than 100 nm in size that have potential for applications in future superconducting nano-electronics.
Organisation(s): Basic Experimental Physics Training and University Didactics, Electronic Properties of Materials
External organisation(s): Johannes Kepler Universität Linz
Journal: Physics Procedia
Volume: 36
Pages: 508-513
No. of pages: 6
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phpro.2012.06.075
Publication date: 2012
Peer reviewed: Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012: 103009 Solid state physics, 103018 Materials physics
Portal url: https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/d38b6943-2b9d-4867-870b-a0efc54e80ff