0000000000248534
AUTHOR
Ulrich Poppe
Characterization of thin superconducting YBaCuO-films by Raman-spectroscopy
We have investigated thin sputtered films of the high Tc material YBa2Cu3O7 by means of Raman spectroscopy at different stages of the preparation process. We find that the films are amorphous after sputtering. The Raman spectra indicate that random polycrystalline layers, as well as crystalline layers with preferred orientation, are obtained by an additional thermal treatment.
Relation between microstructure and transport properties of epitaxial YBa2Cu3O7-d thin films.
Abstract In order to understand the origin of the high critical current densities observed in thin superconducting films compared to single crystals we measured in several epitaxial YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7−δ thin films the magnetic field and temperature dependence of the superconducting current density j s and the dynamical relaxation rate Q ≡ d ln j s / d ln( d B/ dt ). For all samples we found that (i) the superconducting current density j s is independent of magnetic field up to a certain field B Φ . The value of this field, which is sample dependent, decreases with increasing temperature; (ii) for fields B>B Φ , the superconducting current density falls off as B −1/2 over several decades; (iii) …
Influence of micro-structure in the low temperature critical currents of YBa2Cu3O7?? thin films
Epitaxial YBa2Cu3O7−δ films nucleate in c-axis oriented single-crystalline islands. The surface of the single-crystalline SrTiO3 substrates exhibit steps of one third of the YBa2Cu3O7−δ c-axis. These steps generate a mismatch in the island boundaries between the CuO2 superconducting blocks. We show that these defect regions are strong candidates for being the pinning centers responsible for the large critical currents observed in Laser Ablated and Sputtered thin films.
Temperature Effects on the Phonon Spectrum in YBa2Cu3O7 Single Crystals and Thin Films
We have performed a detailed investigation of the temperature dependence of the 385cm-1 phonon in single crystals and thin films of the YBa2Cu3O7 superconductor by means of Raman spectroscopy. In the single crystal the frequency of this phonon shows a downshift of about 5 cm-1 on passing the superconducting transition from above, which is referred to a strong electron-phonon interaction in the superconductor. The shift of the phonon in thin epitaxial films on MgO or SrTiO3 substrates is only about 2.5 cm-1. This difference may be a result of a structural transition in the single crystal which is possibly suppressed in the films because of the epitaxy. The electron-phonon interaction is also…
Critical currents and micro-structure in YBa2Cu3O7−δ thin films
In an attempt to clarify the origin of the large critical current densitiesJ c observed in Laser Ablated and Sputtered YBa2Cu3O7−δ (YBCO) thin films, we make a systematic study of the low temperatureJ c in samples carefully analysed using STM and AFM.J c (B) is determined from torque-magnetometry performed in ring-patterned thin films. Epitaxial YBCO films nucleate in c-axis oriented single-crystalline islands with sizes ranging between 200 and 700 nm. We show thatJ c can be mainly explained by vortex pinning localised in the island boundaries.
Investigation of the epitaxy of thin YBa2Cu3O7-delta films
Abstract The degree of epitaxy of thin sputtered and laser ablated films have been investigated by Raman spectroscopy. Using the selection rules for Raman scattering for the different phonons in YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7−δ the superconducting films on SrTiO 3 and MgO are found to be epitaxially grown with the c -axis perpendicular to the substrate. On ZrO 2 the films also grow with their c -axis perpendicular to the substrate, but with randomly oriented a / b -directions in the plane of the film.