Issue 8, 2020

Suppression of superconductivity at the nanoscale in chemical solution derived YBa2Cu3O7−δ thin films with defective Y2Ba4Cu8O16 intergrowths

Abstract

The analysis of the microstructure and superconducting behavior of chemical solution deposited epitaxial YBa2Cu3O7−δ films, with thickness going down to 5 nm has been carried out with the purpose to disclose the behavior of the most common intergrowth in these films, the Y2Ba4Cu8O16. The analysis of ultrathin films is a unique opportunity to investigate the superconducting behavior of these nanoscale defects because of the high concentration created as a consequence of the elastic energy associated to the misfit strain. Magnetic susceptibility and X-ray diffraction measurements evidence a strong decrease of the superconducting volume correlated with an increase of the intergrowth volume fraction. We demonstrate that these intergrowths are non-superconducting nanoscale regions where Cooper pair formation is disrupted, in agreement with their key role as artificial pinning centers for vortices in YBa2Cu3O7−δ films and coated conductors.

Graphical abstract: Suppression of superconductivity at the nanoscale in chemical solution derived YBa2Cu3O7−δ thin films with defective Y2Ba4Cu8O16 intergrowths

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
04 Jun 2020
Accepted
23 Jun 2020
First published
24 Jun 2020
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Nanoscale Adv., 2020,2, 3384-3393

Suppression of superconductivity at the nanoscale in chemical solution derived YBa2Cu3O7−δ thin films with defective Y2Ba4Cu8O16 intergrowths

Z. Li, M. Coll, B. Mundet, A. Palau, T. Puig and X. Obradors, Nanoscale Adv., 2020, 2, 3384 DOI: 10.1039/D0NA00456A

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