Vortex instability and vortex-glass transition in Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8 and YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 thin films

We investigated the current-voltage (I-V) curves of high-T c superconductors at very low and very high dissipation levels. In the limit of low driving currents the barriers for vortex movement become infinite in the vortex-glass state. Using long measurement bridges up to 0.5 m we were able to sample an electric field range from 1 V/m down to 10 -8 V/m in one experimental setup. The resulting I-V curves allowed us to verify an excellent glass scaling of the I-V curves, which revealed an increased dynamical exponent of the glass transition. We also found a considerable dependence of the vortex-glass scaling on the probed electric-field range. At very high dissipation levels the I-V curves of…

Vortex dynamics in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8-thin films in the presence of columnar defects

With heavy ion irradiation we create continous amorphous columnar defects in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8-thin films. With regard to a reliable comparison of irradiation effects three of four identical striplines on the same samples were exposed to different irradiation procedures. We performed irradiations as well parallel as under different angles with respect to the film $$\vec c$$ -axis. Beside an enlarged normal state resistivity after irradiation the films suffer a Tc-reduction proportional to the volume of the damaged material. The activation energy ascertained from resistive transitions shows best enhancement for magnetic field values close to the matching field. Measurements of the transport crit…

Magnetic tunneling junctions with the Heusler compound

Abstract Certain Heusler phases belong to the materials which are discussed as potential half metals. Here, results of tunneling experiments with the full-Heusler alloy Co 2 Cr 0.6 Fe 0.4 Al are presented. The Heusler alloy is used as an electrode of magnetic tunneling junctions. The junctions are deposited by magnetron DC sputtering using shadow mask techniques with AlO x as a barrier and cobalt as counter electrode. Measurements of the magnetoresistive differential conductivity in a temperature range between 4 and 300 K are shown. An analysis of the barrier properties applying the Simmons model to the bias dependent junction conductivity is performed. VSM measurements were carried out to …

Guided vortex motion in Nb films on facetted substrate surfaces

Abstract Anisotropy of the pinning force in a superconductor can cause a guiding effect on the vortices, which leads to the appearance of new components in the galvanomagnetic quantities of the sample. In this case one can observe an additional odd magnetoresistive component with respect to magnetic field reversal. Furthermore, an even contribution to the Hall voltage is observed. Guided motion of vortices in Nb films on facetted α-Al2O3 (1 0 1 0) was found by measuring the longitudinal and transversal resistivities of three films with transport current directed parallel, perpendicular and at an angle of 45° with respect to the facet ridges. Field inversion was used to separate the even and…

Probing the superconducting state of UPd2Al3 thin films by tunneling spectroscopy

Abstract Giaever-type planar cross junctions of thin films of the heavy fermion superconductor UPd2Al3 and counter-electrodes of Au, Ag and Al were prepared. Tunneling barriers consisting of the native oxide layer of UPd2Al3 and artificial barriers of AlOx and UOx were investigated. The junctions without artificial barrier show a lack of reproducebility. On some junctions a BCS-like tunneling conductivity with a ratio of 2Δ 0 /k B T c ⋍ 3.8 was observed. Using oxidized Al deposited at room temperature as a barrier no substantial increase of the junction resistance occured. With Uraniumoxide a much higher resistance was obtained, but an association of the bias dependent junction conductivity…

Temperature and angular dependence of the upper critical field of UPd2Al3 thin films

Abstract Temperature and angular resolved measurements of the upper critical field Bc2 of UPd2Al3 thin films are presented and compared with new theoretical calculations for weak-coupling s- and d-wave superconductors in the clean limit. In order to take account of the observed anisotropy of the initial slopes near T c , B′ c 2 = −4.9 T/K for B ‖ c and B′ c 2 = −5.8 T/K for B ⊥ c , and the crossing of the phase boundaries in the temperature dependence of Bc2 near T ∗ ≈ 0.75 T/T c , the calculations include anisotropic orbital and paramagnetic pair breaking. Recent speculations upon the occurence of a non-uniform superconducting “Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov”-state are also considered an…

Dynamics of heavy fermions: Drude response in and

While the effective mass of heavy fermions governs their thermodynamics, the optical properties are dominated by the characteristic relaxation rate which is expected to scale inversely with the effective mass. At the relaxation rate clear features, the so-called Drude response occur in the real and imaginary parts of the complex conductivity. Conventional optical spectroscopy can only indirectly probe the Drude response; thus we use novel broadband microwave spectroscopy to directly measure the frequency-dependent conductivity of UPd2Al3 and UNi2Al3 in the relevant frequency range and unambiguously observe the full low-energy electrodynamics of the heavy fermions including the Drude respons…

Determination of two-dimensional zero-magnetic-fieldI-Vexponent inBi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ

Magnetotransport properties of epitaxial - and -oriented CeSb thin films

Abstract We present the electronic magnetotransport properties of (1 0 0) - and (1 1 1) -oriented CeSb thin films. The samples were grown epitaxially by molecular beam epitaxy onto sapphire (1 1 2 0) and (0 0 0 1) substrates. The temperature-dependent resistivity is in full correspondence with the behaviour known from bulk material. For (1 0 0) -oriented films the analysis of the temperature and magnetic field-dependent magnetoresistivity results in a H/T phase diagram analogous to that of bulk samples. For (1 1 1) -oriented films slight deviations were observed. In Hall-effect measurements of (1 0 0) -oriented samples a sign change of the Hall coefficient occurred which is in contrast to m…

Epitaxy of thin films of the Heusler compound Co2Cr0.6Fe0.4Al

Epitaxial thin films of the highly spin polarized Heusler compound Co2Cr0.6Fe0.4Al are deposited by dc magnetron sputtering. It is shown by XRD and TEM investigations how the use of an Fe buffer layer on MgO(100) substrates supports the growth of highly ordered Co2Cr0.6Fe0.4Al at low deposition temperatures. The as grown samples show a relatively large ordered magnetic moment of mu = 3.0mu_B/f.u. providing evidence for a low level of disorder.

Finite range scattering of Ni and Zn impurities in Y-123 thin films

Abstract We investigated YBa 2 (Cu 1− z M z ) 3 O 7-δ (M Ni,Zn) thin films and determined the decrease of T c and the increase of residual resistivity due to Cu-site substitution, taking into account the CuO-chain contributions to the total conductivity. Although Zn suppresses T c stronger than Ni by a factor of 2.3 the increase of resistivity differs only slightly. Furthermore the observed resistivities are too high to be explained within scattering from point-like defects. To reconcile these contradictions, we assumed finite size scattering potentials, which lead to scattering phase shifts δ l of higher angular momebtum l > 0. T c -suppression is discussed qalitatively within this picture.

Preparation, Characterisation and Dielectric Properties of YBa2Cu3O7-δ/ Insulator-Heterostructures

YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ /insulator/Au-heterostructures on SrTiO 3 or LaAlO 3 substrates were prepared to study the properties of the materials SrTiO 3 , BaTiO 3 and Ceo 2 . X-ray diffraction measurements in Bragg-Brentano geometry show c-axis-oriented growth for the superconductor and the insulators SrTiO 3 and CeO 2 . Typical values for the rocking curve width of the different insulating films are between 0.4° and 0.8°. The highest breakdown fields are measured for the insulator SrTiO 3 with +37.5 kV/mm and -8.8 kV/mm. The permittivity for CeO 2 is independent of applied field and only weakly temperature dependent. This is in contrast to the perovskite type insulators, where the permittivity depe…

Ferroelectricity and structure of BaTiO grown on YBa Cu O thin films

We have investigated the crystal structure and the ferroelectric properties of BaTiO3 thin films with YBa2Cu3O \(_{7 - \delta }\) as the bottom and Au as the top electrode. Epitaxial heterostructures of YBa2Cu3O \(_{7 - \delta }\) and BaTiO3 were prepared by dc and rf sputtering, respectively. The crystal structure of the films was characterised by X-ray diffraction. The ferroelectric behaviour of the BaTiO3 films was confirmed by hysteresis loop measurements using a Sawyer Tower circuit. We obtain a coercive field of 30 kV/cm and a remanent polarisation of 1.25 μC/cm2. At sub-switching fields the capacitance of the films obeys a relation analogous to the Rayleigh law. This behaviour indica…

Preparation, scaling behavior of activation energy, Hall effect, and flux-flow anisotropy of (Hg0.9Re0.1)Ba2CaCu2O6+δHTS thin films

Abstract We have prepared fully textured (Hg0.9Re0.1)Ba2CaCu2O6+δ (HgRe-1212) thin films by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) and post-annealing. The films exhibit sharp superconducting transitions at Tc=124 K with transition width ΔTc≃2 K. Conditions for reproducible film preparation have been found. The resistive transitions have been investigated in magnetic fields up to 8 T (parallel to the c-axis) and 10 T (perpendicular to the c-axis). We have determined the activation energy of thermally activated flux-motion for both magnetic field orientations. The Hall resistivity (ρxy) of HgRe-1212 superconductor thin films has been measured in the ab-plane at 8 T. In the mixed state a power-law beha…

Frequency dependent conductivity in YBa2Cu3O7-δ (δ≈0) thin films

Normal and mixed state Hall effect in (Hg0.9Re0.1)Ba2CaCu2O6+δ fully textured HTSC thin films

Abstract Temperature and magnetic field dependence of the Hall effect in the normal and mixed state of fully textured (Hg0.9Re0.1)Ba2CaCu2O6+δ (HgRe-1212) HTSC thin films prepared by laser ablation deposition have been studied. The longitudinal resistivity ρxx and Hall resistivity ρyx of HgRe-1212 superconductor thin films were measured for a wide range of magnetic fields from 125 mT to 12 T with the field perpendicular to the ab plane and the current in the ab plane. A sign change of the Hall resistivity is observed in fields below 3 T in the region close to the superconducting onset temperature. The temperature dependencies ρxx ∝ T and ρyx ∝ 1/T have been observed for HgRe-1212 thin films…

Ac field dependence of the susceptibility of Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 thin films at low dc fields

We have measured the ac field dependence of the ac susceptibility of 400 nm thick Bi2212 thin films at low dc fields 0 ≤μ0Ha ≤ 1 mT in transverse geometry. We show that at reduced temperaturest≤0.85 the ac field dependence can be described by the non-linear Bean model after Brandt as in Y123 thin films. Att>0.85, however, we observe a decrease of the energy dissipation and shielding capability. The critical current density at zero dc field is given byjc−4×1010(1−(T/Tc))2.8±0.1 A/m2.

Vortex–antivortex unbinding in oxygen-deficient YBa2Cu3O7− films

Abstract In-plane zero-magnetic-field current–voltage ( I – V ) characteristics of oxygen-deficient YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7− δ films (7 −  δ  ∼6.5, 6.55, and 6.65) were thoroughly investigated. A good agreement with the quasi two-dimensional (2D) vortex–antivortex unbinding scenario was observed, similar to the behaviour of highly anisotropic Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8+ δ films. The temperature variation of the I – V exponent allows the determination of the Berezinskii–Kosterlitz–Thouless transition temperature T KT at the superconducting Cu–O layer level, and the mean-field critical temperature T c0 . We found that both T KT and T c0 increase with increasing doping, and T c0 remains in the region of the …

Alternative Buffer-Layers for the Growth of SrBi2Ta2O9 on Silicon

In this work we investigate the influence of the use of YSZ and CeO2/YSZ as insulators for Metal- Ferroelectric-Insulator-Semiconductor (MFIS) structures made with SrBi2Ta2O9 (SBT). We show that by using YSZ only the a-axis oriented Pyrochlore phase could be obtained. On the other hand the use of a CeO2/YSZ double-buffer layer gave a c-axis oriented SBT with no amorphous SiO2 inter- diffusion layer. The characteristics of MFIS diodes were greatly improved by the use of the double buffer. Using the same deposition conditions the memory window could be increased from 0.3 V to 0.9 V. From the piezoelectric response, nano-meter scale ferroelectric domains could be clearly identified in SBT thin…

Small-polaron transport inLa0.67Ca0.33MnO3thin films

We present a detailed study of the activated resistivity of ${\mathrm{La}}_{0.67}{\mathrm{Ca}}_{0.33}{\mathrm{MnO}}_{3}$ films up to 600 K under the influence of high magnetic fields. Data in zero field can be explained by small polaron hopping as treated in the Friedman-Holstein theory. Based on the spin orientation of ferromagnetic clusters in a magnetic field, we develop a phenomenological model describing the temperature and field dependence of the resistivity with a minimum of free parameters. We find that the polarons have a magnetic contribution to their activation energy for hopping which depends on the variation of the spin order with increasing temperature and can be modified by a…

Transport anisotropy and of thin films

Abstract The resistivity R ( T ) of superconducting UNi 2 Al 3 thin films shows a pronounced dependence on the current direction. Specifically, the superconducting transition temperature T c is directional dependent as well as the influence of the magnetic ordering on the transport properties. Also the upper critical field B c 2 ( Θ , T ) is moderately influenced by the probe current direction. These anisotropies are discussed in the framework of multiband superconductivity. The initial slope of the upper critical field B c 2 ′ ( T ) provides evidence for a spin singlet state.

Broadband infrared conductivity in an YBa2Cu3O6.7 thin film

Infrared reflectivity of an oxygen reduced YBa2Cu3O6.7 thin film was measured in the frequency range 30 cm-1 < v < 7000 cm-1 and for temperatures 5 K < T < 300 K. At lower frequencies, 3 cm-1 < v < 40 cm-1, the complex conductivity σ*=σ1+iσ2 was measured directly using a transmission technique. Both data sets were combined to obtain the reflectivity in a broad frequency range and thus to improve substantially the quality of the Kramers-Kronig analysis at low frequencies. The analysis of the conductivity spectra reveals that the low-frequency spectral weight strongly depends on temperature directly above TC but saturates for T ≥ 150 K.

Extremely slow Drude relaxation of correlated electrons

The electrical conduction of metals is governed by how freely mobile electrons can move throughout the material. This movement is hampered by scattering with other electrons, as well as with impurities or thermal excitations (phonons). Experimentally, the scattering processes of single electrons are not observed, but rather the overall response of all mobile charge carriers within a sample. The ensemble dynamics can be described by the relaxation rates, which express how fast the system approaches equilibrium after an external perturbation1,2,3. Here we measure the frequency-dependent microwave conductivity of the heavy-fermion metal UPd2Al3 (ref. 4), finding that it is accurately described…

Tunneling into epitaxial UPd2Al3 thin films

Abstract UPd2Al3–AlOx–Pb Giaever-type tunneling junctions were prepared employing an in vacuo process. The high junction quality is evident by the observation of the well-known superconducting density of states of the Pb counter electrode. For HPbc2

Heavy ion induced columnar defects: a sensitive probe for the 2D/3D behaviour of vortex matter in high-temperature superconductors

Abstract Heavy ion irradiation is used to create columnar defects in high-temperature superconductors (HTS). The heavy ion induced defects are not only very well controlled in shape and density, but also in the direction of the tracks with respect to the crystallographic c-axis. Pinning of the flux lines as a function of magnetic field orientation then becomes dependent on vortex dimensionality. The two-dimensional (2D)/three-dimensional (3D) behaviour of flux lines was investigated in the highly anisotropic Bi-based superconducting oxide. Results obtained from transport current measurements with epitaxial films, measurements with small single crystals in flux transformer geometry and muon …

Tunneling junctions of the heavy-fermion superconductor UPd2Al3

Abstract Tunneling spectroscopy on planar Giaever-type junctions is a powerful tool for the investigation of the superconducting state of metals. Since it is possible to prepare high-quality epitaxial thin films of the heavy-fermion compound UPd 2 Al 3 , this method can be used to examine the energy gap of this presumably unconventional superconductor. We prepared cross-junctions consisting of a UPd 2 Al 3 base electrode and a metal counter electrode (Au, Al or Ag). These small area contacts without artificial barriers have only low junction resistances and suffer from irreproducibility. On the other hand, on some of those junctions we observed BCS-like tunneling conductivity. In order to i…

Frequency-dependent conductivity of UPd2Al3 films

The transmission of UPd2Al3 films was studied (4 K < T < 300 K) in the frequency range from 4 to 32 cm−1 by using a coherent source interferometer which allows for measuring both, amplitude and phase. In addition we report on radio frequency and optical measurements. Below 20 K the conductivity and dielectric constant show strong deviations from the behavior of a normal metal which cannot simply be explained by a single renormalized Drude model with an enhanced mass and reduced scattering rate. Instead, we find evidence for the opening of a pseudogap with a gap energy of 6 cm−1 and an extremely narrow ω = 0 mode which is responsible for the large DC conductivity.

Magnetization relaxation in the flux-creep annealing regime across the second magnetization peak of disordered YBa2Cu3O7− crystals

Abstract The relaxation of the irreversible magnetization of disordered YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7− x crystals measured in the “flux-creep annealing” regime reveals that across the second magnetization peak (SMP) the barriers against flux motion remain finite at low current densities, which supports the existence of a crossover to a dissipation process involving the plastic deformation of the vortex system. In our experiments, the vortex creep process appears to be exclusively controlled by collective pinning barriers (diverging at low current densities) only below the onset of the SMP, where the vortex system is stable against dislocation formation. The (elastic) collective pinning barriers observed f…

Transversal thermovoltages of (1 1 9) Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ thin films on vicinal (1 1 0) SrTiO3 substrates

Abstract Biaxial textured (1 1 9) oriented Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8+δ thin films were fabricated by DC-Magnetron sputtering on vicinal (1 1 0) SrTiO 3 substrates. The crystal orientation and stochiometry of the films were obtained from precise X-ray diffraction measurements in four-circle geometry. According to anisotropic transport measurements, the superconducting transition temperature is approximately 47 K and the normal state resistivities along two perpendicular paths differ by a factor of 13.5. Transversal thermoelectric effects were investigated by measuring thermovoltages transverse to temperature gradients parallel to the surface normal induced by pulsed laser irradiation. At room tem…

Controlling the intralayer structure of Co/Pt superlattices

Abstract The effect of the surface quality of MgO (1 1 1) substrates seeded by a 3 nm thick Pt layer on the intralayer and interlayer structure of Co/Pt (1 1 1) superlattices was investigated. The superlattices were grown by DC magnetron sputtering. Pre-growth processing of the MgO shows that intensive polishing using a specific H 2 O/SiO 2 suspension prior to growth is mandatory for obtaining long-range structural coherence in the films. The comparison between superlattices grown on re-polished and as-supplied substrates shows that the substrate treatment enhances the crystalline in-plane orientation and suppresses abc / acb twin formation. Magnetization measurements were performed using t…

Vortex-creep activation energy in YBa2Cu3O7/PrBa2Cu3O7 superlattices

Abstract YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 /PrBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 (YBCO/PBCO) superlattices with a different ratio of the superconducting and insulating layer thicknesses were prepared by high pressure dc sputtering. The vortex-creep activation energy U 0 was determined by analyzing the in-plane resistive transition of 200 μm wide bridges with the external magnetic field B oriented along the c axis. It was found that U 0 is proportional to the thickness of the YBCO layers, and does only weakly depend on the PBCO layer thickness, when the latter exceeds two unit cells. We observed a change in the variation of U 0 with the current I in the specimen: U 0 exhibits a plateau in the low- I region, then decreases signific…

Strain induced renormalization of transport properties in UPt3 thin films

The growth of sputter deposited UPt3 thin films on Al2O3 (1012), LaAlO3 (111) and SrTiO3 (111) was investigated. We found strongly 0001-textured growth of UPt3 in a small compositional range of 23–25% uranium content. For Al2O3-and LaAlO3-substrates no in-plane order could be observed whereas epitaxial growth was initiated on SrTiO3 (111): The growth can be identified as Vollmer-Weber like resulting in the formation of large lateral strain as a consequence of the growth mode and a lattice misfit of −4.3% between UPt3 (0001) and SrTiO3 (111). Strong deviations from the typical heavy-fermion characteristics in electronic transport properties like resistivity, magnetoresitivity and Hall-effect…

Superconductivity mediated by spin fluctuations in the heavy-fermion compound UPd2 Al3

It is well known that any weak attractive electron–electron interaction in metals can in principle cause the formation of Cooper pairs, which then condense into a superconducting ground state1. In conventional superconductors, this attractive interaction is mediated by lattice vibrations (phonons). But for the heavy-fermion and high-temperature superconductors, alternative pairing interactions are considered to be possible2. For example, the low-temperature properties of heavy-fermion systems are dominated by antiferromagnetic spin fluctuations, which have been considered theoretically3 as a possible cause for Cooper-pair formation. This picture recently received some experimental support: …

Epitaxy of thin films of the Heusler compound

Abstract Epitaxial thin films of the highly spin polarized Heusler compound Co 2 Cr 0.6 Fe 0.4 Al are deposited by DC magnetron sputtering. It is shown by XRD and TEM investigations how the use of an Fe buffer layer on MgO(1 0 0) substrates supports the growth of highly ordered Co 2 Cr 0.6 Fe 0.4 Al at low deposition temperatures. The as-grown samples show a relatively large ordered magnetic moment of μ ≃ 3.0 μ B / f . u . providing evidence for a low level of disorder.

Electronic properties of *-oriented thin films

Abstract To perform high precision measurements of the transport anisotropy, epitaxial, a *-oriented thin films of UPd 2 Al 3 have been prepared on LaAlO 3 (1 1 0) substrates. The critical temperature T c ≈ 1.75 K and the upper critical field B c 2 ≈ 3 T are comparable to typical bulk values. In contrast to UNi 2 Al 3 , we observed only a weak anisotropy in directional resistivity measurements, especially no dependence of the superconducting transition temperature on the direction of the applied current. Hall effect measurements show two characteristic minima at T = 16 K ≈ T N and T ≈ 6 K , which corresponds to features seen in earlier measurements on c *-oriented films.

Raman scattering studies of ultrathin-layer YBa2Cu3O7/PrBa2Cu3O7 superlattices

We present Raman scattering studies ofc-oriented ultrathin-layer superconducting (YBa2Cu3O7) m /(PrBa2Cu3O7) n superlattices. For the superlattice with (m=2,n=1) sequence, Raman spectra reveal a new line in the spectral region around 320 cm−1. It is interpreted as a mode representing a combination of IR optical phonons of the Y-sublayers with an admixture of aB1g type Raman active vibration in the Pr sublayers. This new line, which is similar to those from the interior of the Brillouin zone of the original lattice, does not exhibit superconductivity-induced self-energy effects, although its counterpart in the pure substance does. No additional line is found in the (m=1,n=2) superlattice in …

Resistivity and irreversibility line of (Hg0.9Re0.1)Ba2CaCu2O6+δ HTS thin films

Abstract High-quality epitaxial (Hg 0.9 Re 0.1 )Ba 2 CaCu 2 O 6+ δ HTS thin films were successfully prepared by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) of Hg-free precursor material on (1 0 0)-oriented SrTiO 3 substrates with subsequent Hg vapour annealing. (Hg 0.9 Re 0.1 )Ba 2 CaCu 2 O 6+ δ HTS thin films exhibit sharp superconducting transitions at T c ≈122 K. The electrical resistance for c -axis oriented HgRe-1212 films has been studied as a function of temperature and dc magnetic fields up to 10 T parallel to the crystallographic c -axis. The irreversibility line for the HgRe-1212 has been deduced from the data and investigated as a function of reduced temperature T / T c . The result of the irr…

Location of the mean-field critical temperature of underdopedYBa2Cu3Oyfilms

We determined the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless transition temperature ${T}_{\mathit{KT}}$ at the superconducting layer level and the mean-field critical temperature ${T}_{c0}$ in oxygen-deficient $\mathrm{Y}{\mathrm{Ba}}_{2}{\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}{\mathrm{O}}_{y}$ films ($y\ensuremath{\sim}6.5$, 6.55, and 6.65). We used the $T$ dependence of the quasi-two-dimensional $I\text{\ensuremath{-}}V$ exponent for $T\ensuremath{\leqslant}{T}_{\mathit{KT}}$, and the analysis of the resistive transition in the framework of the Ginzburg-Landau two-dimensional Coulomb gas model for $Tg{T}_{\mathit{KT}}$. Both procedures give essentially the same results, with ${T}_{c0}$ remaining in the domain of the elect…

Importance of the crossover-current density for a vortex-glass analysis

Recent experimental results obtained from transport measurements on extremely long measurement bridges [1] have questioned the validity of previous vortex-glass analyses. For electric-field windows restricted to relatively high values of E > 10 -5 V/m the dynamic exponent of the vortex-glass transition z 6, in agreement with theoretical predictions and previous experimental results. However, for extended windows (10 -1 > E > 10 -8 V/m) - while the characteristics of a vortex-glass transition are preserved - all analyses result in z ≥ 9. A combined analysis of the crossover-current density J + 0 and crossover-electric field E + 0 , which limit the critical regime of the vortex-glass transiti…

Growth mechanism and transport properties of thin La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 films

Abstract We prepared thin films of La 0.67 Ca 0.33 MnO 3 on different substrates with DC sputtering. The measured transport and magnetic properties could be explained by a lattice mismatch induced by the substrate. Hall effect measurements showed a holelike charge carrier density n * h = 1.3 per unit cell below T C . The magnetoresistance results from an increase of the mobility of the charge carriers in magnetic field.

MgO surface microstructure and crystalline coherence of Co/Pt superlattices

We report the growth of Co/Pt(111) superlattices sputtered onto MgO(111) substrates of different surface quality. Long-range structural coherence in the Pt-seed layers and the superlattices could only be obtained on specially re-polished substrates. In seed layers and superlattices grown on miscut re-polished substrates suppression of abc versus acb stacking was observed.

Ferroelectric Properties and Crystal Structure of YBa2Cu3O7/BaxSr(1−x)TiO3 Heterostructures

ABSTRACTEpitaxial YBa2Cu3O7/Ba0.5Sr0.5TiO3 (YBCO/BST) and YBCO/BaTiO3 (BTO) heterostructures were prepared by dc and rf sputtering on SrTiO3 and MgO substrates. The YBCO/BTO bilayers exhibit an inductive superconducting transition temperature of 85 K and the ferroelectric phase transition of BST shows a Curie-Weiss temperature of 310 K. Microstructure was investigated by x-ray-diffraction and atomic force microscopy. In this work we also studied the insulator's conductivity and the contribution of domain walls to permittivity.

Anomalous behavior of the second magnetization peak inLa1.81Sr0.19CuO4single crystals: Possible influence of two-band superconductivity

We report an anomalous temperature $T$ variation of the field ${H}_{\text{on}}$ for the onset of the second magnetization peak in ${\text{La}}_{1.81}{\text{Sr}}_{0.19}{\text{CuO}}_{4}$ single crystals with the external magnetic field $H$ oriented parallel to the $c$ axis. While the peak field ${H}_{p}$ has a continuous decrease with increasing $T$, ${H}_{\text{on}}$ exhibits a sudden decrease for $T\ensuremath{\sim}11--15\text{ }\text{K}$. This behavior appears to be related to the particular $T$ dependence of the superfluid density in the case of two-band superconductivity affecting the $T$ variation of the elastic energy of the vortex system at low $H$.

Preparation and x-ray pole-figure characterization of DC-sputtered Bi-2201, Bi-2212 and Bi-2223 thin films

Thin films of the three members of the superconducting series , n = 1,2,3, were prepared by diode sputtering. X-ray characterization shows that all the films are single phase and c-axis oriented and in addition they are epitaxially grown. The latter is found by x-ray pole-figure measurements taken with a four-circle diffractometer. These are emphasized in this work. AC susceptibility measurements show that, while the 2201 films are not superconducting until 4 K, the transition temperatures of the 2212 films are 82 K - 90 K and of the 2223 films 84 K - 89 K.

Strong-coupling effects in the heavy-fermion superconductor UPd2Al3

Abstract Recent results of superconducting tunneling spectroscopy on epitaxial thin films of the antiferromagnetic heavy-fermion superconductor UPd 2 Al 3 are presented. Strong-coupling effects in the tunneling density of states are analyzed within the framework of the anisotropic Eliashberg theory for a pair-coupling mechanism based on the exchange of antiferromagnetic spin excitations. The multi-sheeted Fermi surface of UPd 2 Al 3 is taken into account.

Phonon Softening and Electron-Phonon Interaction in YBa2Cu3O7−δ

We report on the Raman scattering investigation of the 335 cm−1 phonon of Ag (pseudo-B1g) symmetry in thin YBa2Cu3O7−δfilms on various substrates. The experiments yield values for the phonon softening below Tc, which differ from sample to sample. We find a linear relation between the softening and the inverse asymmetry parameter of the phonon Fano-like lineshape, when these parameters, obtained from different samples, are compared with each other. In contrast to this, the onset temperatures for the softening are the same for these samples.

Correlation gap in the heavy-fermion antiferromagnetUPd2Al3

The optical properties of the heavy-fermion compound ${\mathrm{UPd}}_{2}{\mathrm{Al}}_{3}$ have been measured in a frequency range from 0.04 to 5 meV $(0.3--40{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1})$ at temperatures $2\mathrm{K}lTl300\mathrm{K}.$ Below the coherence temperature ${T}^{*}\ensuremath{\approx}50\mathrm{K},$ a hybridization gap opens around 10 meV. As the temperature decreases further $(Tl~20\mathrm{K}),$ a well-pronounced pseudogap of approximately 0.2 meV develops in the optical response; we relate this to the antiferromagnetic ordering which occurs below ${T}_{N}\ensuremath{\approx}14\mathrm{K}.$ The frequency-dependent mass and scattering rate give evidence that the enhancement of …

Magnetic and magnetoelastic properties of epitaxial (2 1 1)-oriented RFe2 (R=Dy, Tb) thin films

Abstract Epitaxial, (2 1 1)-oriented thin films of RFe 2 (R: rare earth; here: Dy, Tb) were deposited by molecular beam epitaxy on faceted and non-faceted α - Al 2 O 3 ( 1 0 1 ¯ 0 ) (m-plane) substrates utilizing a 15 A thin Fe seed layer and a 500 A Nb buffer layer. Detailed X-ray diffraction analyses revealed a twin-free epitaxial (2 1 1)-oriented growth of buffer layer and film. The magnetostrictive layer RFe 2 , as well as the template layers Nb and Mo exhibited the same crystallographic in-plane orientation with regard to the substrate. The same epitaxial relationship was found for films prepared on faceted and on non-faceted substrates. This implies a coherent crystal overgrowth of th…

Investigations on the c-axis transport properties of YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-δ//PrBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-δ/ thin film superlattices

In this paper we report on the c-axis transport properties of YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-/spl delta///PrBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-/spl delta// superlattices. We describe the preparation, characterisation and patterning of thin film superlattices into suitable mesa structures via standard photolithography. Resistive measurements were carried out which point towards an inhomogenous current distribution in the normal state resistance. Below T/sub c/, the c-axis properties determine the temperature dependent resistance. Resonant tunneling is observed with no Josephson current.

Transport properties of Bi2Sr2Ca2Cu3O10+δ Bicrystal Grain Boundary Josephson Junctions and SQUIDs

Josephson junctions and SQUIDs on 36.8° SrTiO 3 bicrystal substrates were prepared from epitaxial Bi 2 Sr 2 Ca 2 Cu 3 O 10+δ thin films with critical temperatures around 95K. The current-voltage characteristics are well described by the resistively and capacitively shunted junction model. I c R n products of 50μV at 77K and 0.7mV at 4.2K have been reached. The I c (B) dependence is symmetric to B = 0 with an I c suppression of 90% in the first minimum. Nevertheless it turns out, that the junctions are inhomogeneous on a μm scale. SQUID modulations observed at 78K indicate a flux-voltage transfer function of 2.7μV/Φ 0 at this temperature.

Magnetoresistivity and crystal structure of epitaxial La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 films

Abstract We investigated thin-film growth of doped manganites by sputter deposition on SrTiO 3 (1 0 0), MgO (1 0 0) and r -plane Al 2 O 3 (1 0 1¯2) substrates and found an in-plane-oriented growth. The unit cell of the films showed distortions from the simple cubic perovskite structure, represented by a tetragonal unit cell with a′ = b′ = √2 a ; c′ = 2 a . By scanning electron microscopy we investigated the growth morphology of the films. We determined the magnetotransport properties above and below room temperature. Transport at high temperatures is best described by polaron hopping.

Length-scale-dependent vortex-antivortex unbinding in epitaxialBi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δfilms

The supercurrent transport properties of epitaxial ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{2}{\mathrm{Sr}}_{2}{\mathrm{CaCu}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{8+\mathrm{\ensuremath{\delta}}}$ films in zero applied magnetic field were investigated in a temperature interval of \ensuremath{\approx}20 K below the mean-field critical temperature ${T}_{c0}.$ The modification of the shape of the $I\ensuremath{-}V$ curves observed by varying the temperature was explained in terms of vortex-fluctuation-induced layer decoupling and vortex-antivortex unbinding, revealing a strong probing-length dependence. The change of the effective dimensionality of thermally excited vortices involved in the dissipation process leads to the appearance of …

Growth characteristics of sputter-deposited thin films

Thin films of the heavy-fermion superconductor were deposited on various substrate materials in various orientations by means of a quasi-multilayer sputter process. Strongly (0001)-textured growth of the hexagonal compound was found for a uranium content in the range of 23% to 28% on sapphire and with perfect in-plane order on the latter substrate material. Atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy revealed a Vollmer - Weber-like growth mode resulting in the development of large compressive strain in films on . As a result the electronic transport properties - in particular the temperature dependence of the resistivity - were strongly renormalized. Strong deviations from the …

Direct observation of the quasiparticle relaxation in YBa2Cu3O7

Abstract The real and imaginary parts of the optical conductivity ( σ 1 + iσ 2 ) in the superconducting state of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7−δ thin films have been obtained by submillimeter spectroscopy for frequencies from 3 to 35 cm −1 . The quasiparticle relaxation can be directly observed in this frequency range. A Drude-type analysis allows to extract the temperature dependence of the scattering rate. The collapse of the relaxation rates provides clear experimental evidence that the spin fluctuations become gapped below T C .

Nature of Heavy Quasiparticles in Magnetically Ordered Heavy FermionsUPd2Al3andUPt3

The optical conductivity of the heavy fermions $\mathrm{UPd}{}_{2}{\mathrm{Al}}_{3}$ and $\mathrm{UPt}{}_{3}$ has been measured in the energy range from 0.04 to 5 meV. In both compounds a well pronounced pseudogap of less than 1 meV develops in the optical response at low temperatures; we relate this to the antiferromagnetic ordering. From the energy dependence of the effective mass and scattering rate we conclude that the enhancement of the mass mainly occurs below the energy which is related to magnetic correlations between the local magnetic moments and the itinerant electrons. This implies that the magnetic order in these compounds is the prerequisite to the formation of the heavy quasi…

Vortex-system ordering during magnetisation measurements in YBa2Cu3O7−δ films at low temperatures

Abstract Zero-field-cooling dc magnetisation relaxation measurements performed on optimally doped epitaxial YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7− δ films with the external magnetic field H oriented parallel to the c -axis reveal the ordering of the creeping vortex-system in the low temperature T domain, due to the macroscopic currents induced in the sample. This dynamic ordering manifests itself through the appearance of a maximum in the T variation of the normalised vortex-creep activation energy. The location of this maximum in the H – T plane describes a well-defined current induced order–disorder line. Our results suggest the absence of a static elastic vortex glass in disordered high-temperature superconduc…

Bi2Sr2Ca2Cu3O10+δ based Josephson junctions and SQUIDs

Josephson junctions and SQUIDs on SrTiO3 bicrystal substrates were prepared from epitaxial Bi2Sr2Ca2Cu3O10+δ thin films with critical temperatures around 95K. The current-voltage characteristics are well described by the resistively and capacitively shunted junction model.I c R n products of 50μV at 77K and 0.7m V at 4.2K have been reached. TheI c (B) dependence is symmetric toB=0 with anI c suppression of 90% in the first minimum. Nevertheless it turns out, that the junctions are inhomogeneous on a μm scale. The flux-voltage transfer function of a SQUID reached 2.7μV/Ф0 at 78K.

Josephson junctions and SQUIDs based on artificial grain boundaries in Bi 2 Sr 2 Ca 2 Cu 3 O 10 -thin films

ABSTRACT High quality thin films of Bi2 Sr Ca2 Cu3 0 with critical temperatures of 95 K were used to prepare grainboundary josephson junctions on commercial 36.8° SrTiOg-bicrystal substrates. IR-products of 50 pV at 77 Kand 0.7 mV at 4.2 K have been reached. For temperatures higher than 50 K the current-voltage curves of thejunctions can be well described by the resistively shunted junction (RSJ) model and show no hysteresis. Fromthe hysteretic behavior at low temperature we estimate a junction capacitance of 2ljiF/cm2. The Fraunhoferpattern of the critical current in an external applied field shows, that the junctions are inhomogeneous on a pm scale. The SQUID modulation of a 30 x 40 pm2 w…

Josephson junctions and superconducting field effect transistors based on epitaxial Bi2Sr2Can-1CunO2(n+2) thin films

Abstract Josephson junctions based on thin films of the Bi2Sr2Ca2Cu3O10+δ compound show IcRn products compatible with YBa2Cu3O7−δ samples. Using quasiparticle tunneling experiments we found evidence for a superconductor–insulator–superconductor tunneling process via localized states in the barrier. The Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ compound is investigated regarding possible applications in superconducting field effect devices. We present thin films of four unit cells thickness that are superconducting at 58 K. An inverted metal–insulator–superconductor structure was prepared. From the modulation of the normal state resistance we estimate a carrier density of 7×1019 cm−3 for a superconducting sample. The…

Optical determination of the oxygen content of YBa2Cu3O6+x thin films by IR reflectance and transmittance measurements

Abstract Recent studies of the optical properties of YBa2Cu3O6+x (YBCO) single crystals by several authors have shown that the optical conductivity in the infrared spectral region is a sensitive function of the oxygen content of the samples. Infrared spectroscopy thus offers a possibility for oxygen concentration analysis and is an alternative to other methods such as (i) the X-ray determination of the length of the c-axis and (ii) spectroscopic ellipsometry at an electronic transition band centered around 4.1 eV whose strength decreases with increasing oxygen content. We explore the applicability of the IR optical method for the case of YBCO thin films of about 300 nm thickness which are e…

Preparation of thin films of the heavy fermion superconductor UNi2Al3

Abstract Thin films of the heavy fermion superconductor UNi 2 Al 3 were prepared by coevaporation of the elementary components in an MBE-system. We obtained textured (1 0 0)-oriented films of this hexagonal compound depositing on Al 2 O 3 substrates. Epitaxial growth was observed on (1 1 2)-oriented orthorhombical YAlO 3 substrates. However, due to pronounced strain the UNi 2 Al 3 (1 0 0)-axis is shortened by ≈2%. No superconductivity of the films was observed which can be associated with the high impurity concentration deduced from R ( T ) and XRD investigations.

Magnetism of Co-doped ZnO thin films

We have investigated magnetic and transport properties of 5% Co-doped and undoped ZnO thin films deposited on $r$ plane ${\mathrm{Al}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ substrates by pulsed laser deposition. The Co doped films showed paramagnetic and ferromagnetic behavior as well as a high magnetoresistance and a small anomalous Hall effect. In a range of $0\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\text{to}\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}5\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{T}$ at low temperatures we observed a double sign change of the magnetoresistance. For undoped ZnO films, prepared by the same conditions, only a negative MR was observed, but surprisingly also a very small anomalous Hall effect. We explain our results…

Growth of Fe nanostructures

Abstract Highly ordered arrays of epitaxial iron thin film nanostructures were grown by molecular beam epitaxy techniques on m-plane sapphire α-Al2O3 (1 0 1 0) substrates. Iron was deposited by electron beam evaporation under shallow incidence onto faceted sapphire substrates held at elevated temperatures of 450°C. Scanning electron microscopy suggests the formation of morphologically and electrically isolated nanowire structures on the ridges of the facets. The topology of the structures depends strongly on the iron deposition angle.

Possibility of unconventional superconductivity of SrTiO3−δ

Abstract SrTiO3−δ can show metallic behavior and superconductivity at T It is demonstrated that by variation of the annealing temperature in vacuum the transport properties of SrTiO3−δ can be tuned continuously from semiconducting to metallic. We present measurements of the upper critical field Bc2(T) which show near Tc a positive curvature. This unusual temperature dependence is consistent with a model of weakly interacting charged bosons which condense in the superconducting state (local pairing). However, measurements of current–voltage curves reveal only small critical currents of our samples. This observation is discussed in the framework of doping inhomogeneities.

Charge transfer in high-Tc(Y/Pr)Ba2Cu3O7superlattices

We comment on the charge-transfer model for the unique softening of the apex [O(4)] oxygen observed in Raman spectra of a- and c-oriented (${\mathrm{YBa}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}$${\mathrm{O}}_{7}$${)}_{\mathit{m}}$(${\mathrm{PrBa}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}$${\mathrm{O}}_{7}$${)}_{\mathit{n}}$ superlattices presented in a recent paper by Ham et al. [Phys. Rev. B 50, 16 598 (1994)]. We find the size of the charge transfer necessary for the observed shift too large to explain the observations. In addition, a conclusion about the unique behavior of both types of superlattices can only be drawn if the sample quality is properly considered. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.

Step-Edge Induced Anisotropic Domain-Wall Propagation

We report the observation of anisotropic domain-wall propagation in ultrathin magnetic films with perpendicular anisotropy. A controlled density of step edges was introduced which allowed us to quantify its influence on the domain-wall pinning. For a sawtooth arrangement of the step edges the corresponding wall movement resulted in triangular shaped domains. All aspects of this anisotropic domain-wall evolution could be reproduced by a simulation based on a modified Ginzburg-Landau-type soft-spin model.

Analysis of magnetization relaxation in MgB2 bulk samples obtained by electric-field assisted sintering

Abstract The relaxation of the irreversible magnetization of MgB2 bulk samples obtained by electric-field assisted sintering was investigated using the SQUID magnetometry for a magnetic field H up to 50 kOe applied in zero-field-cooling conditions. We observed a crossover plastic creep at high temperatures T-elastic creep at low T, described by H ∝ T−2 in the low T range, which appears to be caused by the macroscopic currents induced in the sample during magnetization measurements. By decreasing T below this line the determined creep exponent rapidly overcomes the widely accepted theoretical values for elastic (collective) pinning. This behaviour can easily be explained through the occurren…

Flux-flow instability and heating effects in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 and YBa2Cu3O7 thin films

Abstract We investigated current–voltage curves of Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8 and YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 thin films. Voltage jumps due to flux-flow instabilities at high vortex-velocities were found and interpreted in the framework of the theory of Larkin and Ovchinnikov. The extensions introduced by Bezuglyj et al. account for quasiparticle heating during the measurement. While in Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8 the instability is found in the vortex-liquid phase, in YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 we observed it in the vortex-glass phase. Moreover, we studied the temporal behavior of the instability in current–voltage curves with a time resolution in the microsecond range.

Universal relationship between the penetration depth and the normal-state conductivity in YBaCuO

The absolute values of the conductivity in the normal state sigma_n and of the low temperature penetration depths lambda(0) were measured for a number of different samples of the YBaCuO family. We found a striking correlation between sigma_n and 1/lambda^2, regardless of doping, oxygen reduction or defects, thus providing a simple method to predict the superconducting penetration depth and to have an estimate of the sample quality by measuring the normal-state conductivity.

Frequency-dependent relaxation rate in superconductingYBa2Cu3O6+δ

The submillimeter-wave $3 {\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}l\ensuremath{\nu}l40 {\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ complex conductivity of the reduced ${\mathrm{YBa}}_{2}{\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}{\mathrm{O}}_{6+\ensuremath{\delta}}$ film ${(T}_{C}=56.5 \mathrm{K})$ was investigated for temperatures $4 \mathrm{K}lTl300 \mathrm{K}$ and compared to the properties of the same film in the optimally doped state. The frequency dependence of the effective quasiparticle scattering rate $1/{\ensuremath{\tau}}^{*}(\ensuremath{\nu})$ was extracted from the spectra. $1/{\ensuremath{\tau}}^{*}$ is shown to be frequency independent at low frequencies and high temperatures. A gradual change to $1/{\ensuremath{\tau}}^{…

Patterning of Suitable Structures for the Investigation of the Josephson Effect in YBa2Cu3O7/PrBa2Cu3O7 Superlattices

The aim of our work is to investigate the Josephson effect in YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ /PrBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ superlattices. In the case of current flow along c axis direction the superlattice forms an array of artificial Josephson junctions where the YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ layers are the superconducting electrodes which are separated but Josephson coupled by the PrBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ sheets. In this paper we report on the preparation, characterisation and patterning of the superlattices into suitable structures via standard photolithograpy and lift-off technique.

Resonant Raman characterisation of ultra-thin nano-protective carbon layers for magnetic storage devices

Abstract Carbon thin films are very important as protective coatings for a wide range of applications such as magnetic storage devices. The key parameter of interest is the sp3 fraction, since it controls the mechanical properties of the film. Visible Raman spectroscopy is a very popular technique to determine the carbon bonding. However, the visible Raman spectra mainly depend on the configuration and clustering of the sp2 sites. This can result in the Raman spectra of different samples looking similar albeit having a different structure. Thus, visible Raman alone cannot be used to derive the sp3 content. Here we monitor the carbon bonding by using a combined study of Raman spectra taken a…

Relaxation of remnant magnetisation in YBa2Cu3O7−δ films

Abstract The relaxation of the remnant magnetisation in optimally doped disk-shaped YBa2Cu3O7−δ films with the initially applied magnetic field H oriented along the c axis was measured using dc SQUID magnetometry. The temperature (T) dependence of the experimentally observed normalised magnetisation relaxation rate S exhibits three distinct regions. At high T, S(T) increases with increasing T, which can be explained in terms of plastic vortex creep. The well known plateau in the S(T) variation at intermediate T appears to be caused by collective (elastic) creep in a dynamically ordered vortex system. At low T, where S increases again with increasing T, the magnetisation relaxation is not in…

Antiferromagnetism and the node structure of the superconducting order parameter of UPd Al

The node structure of the superconducting order parameter of the heavy-fermion system is analyzed within the weak-coupling theory. A pairing interaction induced by the exchange of antiferromagnetic spin excitations is assumed as suggested by recent inelastic neutron scattering experiments and tunneling spectroscopy. The multi-sheeted Fermi surface is taken into account. Based on a model susceptibility for the simple antiferromagnetic structure of , line nodes result at the rim of the magnetic Brillouin zone.

Probe Coherence Volume and the Interpretation of Scattering Experiments

c-Axis tunneling in YBa2Cu3O7-\delta/PrBa2Cu3O7-\delta superlattices

In this work we report c-axis conductance measurements done on a superlattice based on a stack of 2 layers YBa2Cu3O{7-\delta} and 7 layers PrBa2Cu3O{7-\delta} (2:7). We find that these quasi-2D structures show no clear superconducting coupling along the c-axis. Instead, we observe tunneling with a gap of \Delta_c=5.0\pm 0.5 meV for the direction perpendicular to the superconducting planes. The conductance spectrum show well defined quasi-periodic structures which are attributed to the superlattice structure. From this data we deduce a low temperature c-axis coherence length of \xi_c=0.24\pm 0.03 nm.

Flux-flow instability and its anisotropy inBi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δsuperconducting films

We report measurements on voltage instability at high flux-flow velocities in ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{2}{\mathrm{Sr}}_{2}{\mathrm{CaCu}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{8+\mathrm{\ensuremath{\delta}}}$ superconducting films. Current-voltage $(I\ensuremath{-}V)$ characteristics have been measured as a function of temperature, magnetic field, and angle between the field and the c axis of the sample. Voltage jumps were observed in $I\ensuremath{-}V$ characteristics taken in all magnetic-field directions and in extended temperature and field ranges. An analysis of the experimental data, based on a theory for viscous flux-flow instability with a finite heat-removal rate from the sample, yielded the inelastic scatterin…

Vortex-liquid entanglement inBi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δfilms in the presence of quenched disorder

We have investigated the thermally activated behavior of the in-plane electrical resistivity of ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{2}{\mathrm{Sr}}_{2}{\mathrm{CaCu}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{8+\mathrm{\ensuremath{\delta}}}$ films for magnetic fields $Bl~{10}^{4}\mathrm{G}$ applied parallel to the $c$ axis. The activation energy in the vortex-liquid state changes suddenly at a crossover field ${B}_{\mathrm{cr}}.$ The anisotropy reduction generated by oxygen annealing leads to the increase of the crossover field. For $Bl{B}_{\mathrm{cr}},$ the activation energy $U$ is weakly magnetic-field dependent. For $Bg{B}_{\mathrm{cr}},$ $U(B,T)\ensuremath{\sim}(1\ensuremath{-}{T/T}_{c0}{)/B}^{1/2},$ which corresponds to an entan…

Preparation of superconducting thin films of UNiAl

Abstract Epitaxial thin films of the unconventional heavy fermion superconductor UNi 2 Al 3 we prepared by coevaporation of the elementary components in a molecular beam epitaxy system (MBE). The phase purity and structural quality of the films deposited on (0 1 0)- or (1 1 2)-oriented YAlO 3 substrates were studied by X-ray diffraction and RHEED. The observed R ( T ) behavior is consistent with data obtained from bulk samples and proves the purity of the films. Superconductivity was found with transition temperature T c =0.97 K.

Flux Pinning by Columnar Defects in Bi&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;Sr&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;CaCu&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;O&lt;sub&gt;8&lt;/sub&gt;-Thin Films

Direct observation of Drude behavior in the heavy-fermion by broadband microwave spectroscopy

Abstract Previous optical studies on the heavy-fermion system UPd 2 Al 3 down to frequencies of about 1 cm - 1 ( = 30 GHz ) revealed a well-pronounced pseudogap at low frequencies (below 3 cm - 1 ) that was attributed to magnetic correlations. Thus, the optical conductivity at even lower frequencies is of notable interest because the Drude roll-off (the high-frequency characteristic of a metal which will give information on the quasiparticle dynamics) remained hidden at extremely low frequencies. Using a novel cryogenic broadband microwave spectrometer employing the Corbino geometry we have studied the complex optical conductivity of UPd 2 Al 3 thin films in the frequency range from 45 MHz …

Preparation and characterization of (Hg0.7Mo0.3)Sr2(Ca0.7Y0.3)Cu2Ox and (Hg0.9Re0.1)Ba2CaCu2Oy superconducting films by laser ablation

Abstract Oriented (Hg 0.7 Mo 0.3 )Sr 2 (Ca 0.7 Y 0.3 )Cu 2 O x and (Hg 0.9 Re 0.1 )Ba 2 CaCu 2 O y superconducting films were prepared on SrTiO 3 substrates using laser ablation and post-Hg-vapor annealing. Due to the stability of Mo 0.3 Sr 2 (Ca 0.7 Y 0.3 )Cu 2 O x and Re 0.1 Ba 2 CaCu 2 O y in air, no special handling was needed during the grinding, mixing and pressing of the precursor targets. The superconductivity of the films was characterized with the temperature dependence of the ac susceptibility ( χ - T ) and the resistance ( R - T ) while the crystallography was probed with x-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

Thin film preparation of the low charge carrier density Kondo system CeSb

Abstract We report the thin film preparation of CeSb by means of molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) onto sapphire (1 1 −2 0) substrates. Above a substrate temperature of about 300°C CeSb crystallizes in (0 0 1) orientation. The growth mode of the films changes from a fiber textured to an epitaxial mode for deposition temperatures above 900°C. Although the specific resistivity is enhanced the characteristic energy scales, like the Kondo temperature TK and the magnetic ordering temperature TN, are not changed significantly.

Superconductivity in high‐quality (Hg 0.9 Re 0.1 )Ba 2 CaCu 2 O 6+ δ HTSC thin films

High-quality epitaxial (Hg0.9Re0.1)Ba2CaCu2O6+δ (HgRe-1212) HTS thin films were successfully prepared using pulsed laser deposition (PLD) of the Re0.1Ba2CaCu2O6+δ precursor and subsequent Hg vapor annealing. The thin films exhibit a sharp superconducting transition at Tc ≈ 120 K. The resistive transitions have been investigated in magnetic fields up to 6 T parallel and perpendicular to the c-axis. We have determined the activation energy of thermally activated flux-motion for both magnetic field orientations. (© 2004 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Evidence of charge-carrier compensation effects inLa0.67Ca0.33MnO3

We report on detailed Hall-effect measurements of thin films of ${\mathrm{La}}_{0.67}{\mathrm{Ca}}_{0.33}{\mathrm{MnO}}_{3}$ above and below the metal-insulator transition. In the metallic ferromagnetic regime, we find a temperature-independent holelike nominal charge-carrier density ${n}_{h}^{*}=1.3$ per unit cell, consistent with a partly compensated Fermi surface. The mobility is only 92 ${\mathrm{mm}}^{2}/\mathrm{V}\mathrm{}\mathrm{s}$ at 4 K, and decreases with increasing temperature. Huge negative magnetoresistivity results from an increase in mobility. In low magnetic fields or at high temperatures, an anomalous electronlike contribution dominates the Hall voltage. For possible side …

Superconducting tunneling spectroscopy on epitaxial UPd2Al3 thin films

Abstract Results of superconducting tunneling spectroscopy experiments performed on two different types of thin film planar junctions of the heavy-fermion compound UPd 2 Al 3 are presented. Cross-type junctions consist of the heavy-fermion base electrode, an insulating layer of native surface oxide and a metal counter electrode (Au or Ag). The contact resistance was only weakly temperature dependent down to the superconducting transition. In the superconducting regime a strongly reduced zero bias conductivity indicated the junction being of the superconductor-insulator-normal metal type. The observed tunneling density of states is clearly due to the superconducting energy gap of UPd 2 Al 3 …

History dependence of the magnetization of thin HTSC films: an explanation for distorted SQUID signals

Abstract The magnetizations of thin film disk-shaped type-II superconductors in perpendicular magnetic fields are considered by aid of Mikheenko's critical state model which has been corrected by Zhu for the case of a time-varying periodic field. This paper presents the application of this scheme to an arbitrary nonperiodic time dependence H ( t ). We calculate the influence of field inhomogeneities in a magnetometer on the current density distribution of a disk-shaped type-II superconductor. The resulting SQUID pickup signals and magnetic moments are compared to measurements performed on a 200 nm thick YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 film in the irreversible regime of the phase diagram. Theory and experime…

Thin epitaxial films of the Heusler compound

Abstract We prepared thin films of the Heusler compound Co 2 Cr 0.6 Fe 0.4 Al with the B2 structure on a-plane (1 1  2 ¯  0) Al 2 O 3 by sputtering. Films grown at high temperatures ( T ⩾ 600 ∘ C ) on Al 2 O 3 are fully epitaxial with the (1 1 0) and (1  1 ¯  0) planes of the film parallel to the (1 1  2 ¯  0) and (0 0 0 1) planes of the substrate, respectively. These epitaxial films possess a higher surface roughness than films grown at room temperature. The films show nearly rectangular hysteresis loops with coercive fields of the order of 10 mT. Magnetooptical Kerr measurements show an in-plane anisotropy of the magnetization with the easy axis in { 0 0 1 } direction. Hall measurements s…

XRD and micro Raman characterization of epitaxial Bi-2201, Bi-2212 and Bi-2223 thin films

Copyright (c) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. Micro Raman characterization is performed on high quality thin films of Bi 2 Sr 2 CuO 6+x (2201), Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8+x (2212), Bi 2 Sr 2 Ca 2 Cu 3 O 10+x (2223) made by dc-sputtering. Single crystal X-ray measurements reveal the full epitaxy of the films, which allows for polarized Raman spectra to be obtained.

Optical conductivity inYBa2Cu3O7−δthin films

The real and imaginary parts of the optical conductivity ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{1}+i{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{2}$ of partly untwinned ${\mathrm{YBa}}_{2}{\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}{\mathrm{O}}_{7\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\delta}}$ thin films were measured by submillimeter spectroscopy for frequencies from 100 GHz to 1 THz. The frequency dependence of the conductivity below ${T}_{C}$ can be described by a narrow Drude-like peak with strongly temperature-dependent relaxation rates. ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{1}(\ensuremath{\nu})$ does not extrapolate to the universal d-wave value at 0 K. Impurity scattering significantly different to the unitary limit has to be assumed to achieve agreement with recent theor…

High-temperature transport properties of La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 films

Abstract The giant negative magnetoresistance in manganites has been investigated from the Curie temperature T c up to 600 K (2.6 T c ) in magnetic fields up to 8 T. Nonadiabatic small polaron hopping can successfully describe the temperature dependence of the resistivity. The magnetic field influence on the activation energy is explained by the interaction of unclustered ions with small spin clusters of four ions.

Perpendicular transport properties of YBa_2Cu_3O_{7-\delta}/PrBa_2Cu_3O_{7-\delta} superlattices

The coupling between the superconducting planes of YBa2Cu3O{7-\delta}/ PrBa2Cu3O{7-\delta} superlattices has been measured by c-axis transport. We show that only by changing the thickness of the superconducting YBa2Cu3O{7-\delta} layers, it is possible to switch between quasi-particle and Josephson tunneling. From our data we deduce a low temperature c-axis coherence length of 0.27 nm.

Origin of the plateau in the temperature dependence of the normalized magnetization relaxation rate in disordered high-temperature superconductors

The temperature $T$ dependence of the normalized magnetization relaxation rate $S$ in optimally doped ${\text{YBa}}_{2}{\text{Cu}}_{3}{\text{O}}_{7\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\delta}}$ films with the external dc magnetic field $H$ oriented along the $c$ axis exhibits the well-known plateau in the intermediate $T$ range, associated with the presence of elastic (collective) vortex creep. The disappearance of the $S(T)$ plateau in the high-$H$ domain $(H\ensuremath{\ge}20\text{ }\text{kOe})$ is not completely understood. We show that in the case of high-temperature superconductors with significant quenched disorder the $S(T)$ plateau is directly related to a crossover in the vortex-creep process…

Absence of element specific ferromagnetism in Co doped ZnO investigated by soft X-ray resonant reflectivity

On the quest for the intrinsic origin of ferromagnetism (FM) in ZnO doped with a few percent transition metal, we show detailed X-ray resonant magnetic reflectivity (XRMR) measurements, performed at the Co L2,3 and the O K edges of pulsed laser deposition (PLD) prepared samples. These samples show ferromagnetism at room temperature (RT) (QUID: about 2μB /Co). But in contrast to the QUID measurements, element specific reflection measurements as a function of angle (θ-2θ scans) and energy (const. qz) do not show any sign of ferromagnetism. Therefore, we can exclude without doubt Co as a possible origin for FM in this system. Our results are in perfect agreement with earlier published XMCD dat…

Nondiverging vortex pinning barriers at low current densities across the putative elastic vortex-glass–vortex-liquid transition inYBa2Cu3O7−δfilms

A detailed analysis of the electric field--current density $(E\ensuremath{-}J)$ characteristics of ${\mathrm{YBa}}_{2}{\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}{\mathrm{O}}_{7\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\delta}}$ films across the putative thermally induced elastic vortex-glass--vortex-liquid transition predicted by the $E(J)$ curve scaling reveals that the expected increase of the collective pinning barriers with decreasing J is cut off in the low-$J$ region, signaling a dissipation process which involves the plastic deformation of the vortex system. The temperature and magnetic field dependence of the pinning barriers at low J does not change across the scaling-predicted glass transition line. For the investigated m…

Absence of correlated flux pinning by columnar defects in irradiated epitaxial Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 thin films

Abstract Using heavy-ion irradiation, we produced columnar defects of different density and orientation in epitaxial Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8 thin films. Although this increases the normal state resistivity and the critical temperature is reduced proportionally to the volume fraction of damaged material, pinning-related quantities like critical current density, activation energy and depinning field are enhanced in external magnetic fields. Transport measurements in dependence of the magnetic field and its orientation consistently indicate two-dimensional pinning of pancake vortices at the columnar defects. We observe the absence of correlated flux pinning by columnar defects and compare to heav…

Anomalous intensity of the 335 cm−1 phonon in YBa2Cu3O7−δ

Abstract We report results on Raman scattering for the intensity of the 335 cm −1 phonon of A g (pseudo B 1g ) symmetry in thin YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7−δ films on MgO and LaAlO 3 substrates. The intensity of this phonon shows a pronounced increase below 100 K and saturates at low temperatures. We also observe an additional intensity peaking at temperatures close to the superconducting transition T C . This may indicate a structural phase transition in the vicinity of T C .

An interface effect in c-oriented (Y/Pr)Ba2Cu3O7 Superlattices: Raman scattering by ‘Forbidden’ phonons

Abstract Raman results of ultrathin layer high Tc superlattices ( Y m Pr 1 )Ba2Cu3O7 (m = 2, 3, 4) exhibit a common feature: new peaks, absent in the bulk compounds. These peaks are attributed to oxygen B1u symmetry modes confined in the YBa2Cu3O7 layers. To explain their Raman activity a mechanism based on the asymmetry of crystal field at Y-Pr layer interfaces is proposed.

Comment on “Nonlocal In-Plane Resistance due to Vortex-Antivortex Dynamics in High-TcSuperconducting Films”

A Comment on the Letter by Y. Kopelevich et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 80, 4048 (1998). The authors of the Letter offer a Reply.

Re-entrance phase formation of CeSb thin films

Abstract We report the epitaxial growth of (1 0 0)- and (1 1 1)-oriented CeSb thin films on Al 2 O 3 (1 1 2 0) and (0 0 0 1) substrates by means of molecular beam epitaxy. Depending on the overall Sb-to-Ce flux ratio and the molecular state of Sb x , we observe a re-entrance behavior in the phase formation and orientation of CeSb on Al 2 O 3 (1 1 2 0) . This behavior is shown to exhibit, in some respect, similarities to III–V compound growth, but also more complexities due to the instability of the rare earth component against oxidation. A geometric orientation selection model is suggested which reproduces the observed re-entrance behavior as well as the overall CeSb growth rate.

Evidence for Multiband Superconductivity in the Heavy Fermion CompoundUNi2Al3

Epitaxial thin films of the heavy fermion superconductor UNi2Al3 with Tc(max)=0.98 K were investigated. The transition temperature Tc depends on the current direction which can be related to superconducting gaps opening at different temperatures. Also the influence of the magnetic ordering at TN approximately 5 K on R(T) is strongly anisotropic, indicating different coupling between the magnetic moments and itinerant charge carriers on the multisheeted Fermi surface. The upper critical field Hc2(T) suggests an unconventional spin-singlet superconducting state.

Scaling properties of magnetic domain walls in Pt/Co/Pt trilayers on MgO (111)

Abstract We present a scaling analysis of the time evolution of domain walls in ultrathin magnetic films that are subject to different forms of uncorrelated and correlated disorder caused by the microstructure of the underlying template. The study is performed on ultrafine modulated Pt/Co/Pt trilayers grown on as-supplied and structured MgO (1 1 1) substrates employing polar Kerr microscopy for the imaging of the magnetic domains.

Shift of the surface-barrier part of the irreversibility line due to columnar defects in Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 thin films

We report the results of studying the influence of the uranium-ion irradiation of the Bi_2Sr_2CaCu_2O_8 thin films on the high-temperature part (close to critical temperature) of their irreversibility line. We studied irreversible properties of the films by measuring the hysteresis of nonresonant microwave absorption. The results have revealed the shift of irreversibility line towards low temperatures and magnetic fields. The effect is most significant for the films irradiated with large doses, more than 1T. This fact is in good agreement with the theoretical prediction by Koshelev and Vinokur of suppression of surface barrier by columnar defects.

Epitaxial film growth and magnetic properties ofCo2FeSi

We have grown thin films of the Heusler compound ${\mathrm{Co}}_{2}\mathrm{Fe}\mathrm{Si}$ by RF magnetron sputtering. On (100)-oriented MgO substrates we find fully epitaxial (100)-oriented and $L{2}_{1}$ ordered growth. On ${\mathrm{Al}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}(11\overline{2}0)$ substrates, the film growth is (110)-oriented, and several in-plane epitaxial domains are observed. The temperature dependence of the electrical resistivity shows a power law with an exponent of $7∕2$ at low temperatures. Investigation of the bulk magnetic properties reveals an extrapolated saturation magnetization of $5.0{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{B}∕\mathrm{f.u.}$ at $0\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$. The films on $…

Confined and extended optical phonons in an ultrathin-layerYBa2Cu3O7/PrBa2Cu3O7superlattice

Raman-scattering studies of a high-quality ultrathin-layer (${\mathrm{YBa}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}$${\mathrm{O}}_{7}$${)}_{4}$/(${\mathrm{PrBa}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}$${\mathrm{O}}_{7}$${)}_{1}$ superconducting superlattice resolve, in addition to the combined ${\mathit{B}}_{1\mathit{u}}$ mode at 310 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$ previously reported for a 2:1 sample, a peak at 350 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$ at low temperature. This peak and also others have been interpreted by a lattice-dynamical calculation for the superlattice. The results are compared with confined or extended phonon pictures. The superlattice mode is not renormalized below the superconducti…