Experimental and theoretical investigation of tris-(8-hydroxy-quinolinate) aluminum (Alq3) photo degradation

We investigate the stability of tris-(8-hydroxyquinolinato) aluminum (Alq₃) under UV photo degradation using a combination of experimental and theoretical techniques. Alq₃ thin films were irradiated with He–Xe lamp discharges, as a function of the exposition time, at a wavelength λ = 307 nm. The irradiated and non-irradiated films were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The experimental FTIR spectrum of the exposed sample exhibits a band at 1697 cm^?1, attributed to a carbonyl group. Theoretical calculations of Gibbs free energy and molecular vibrational properties for a variety of possible degradation products allow us to determine the most likely products and produce insight into the degradation mechanisms.     

Driving current and temperature dependent magnetic-field modulated electroluminescence in Alq3-based organic light emitting diode

Driving current and temperature dependences of magnetic-field modulated electroluminescence (EL) in tris(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum (Alq₃)-based OLEDs have been thoroughly investigated. At low temperatures, the applied magnetic-field induces a sharp increase of the EL in low field regime (B ? 35 mT) and a slow but apparent decrease at high fields (35 ? B ? 500 mT). The low-field increase in EL (LFE) survives at all working temperatures while the high-field decrease (HFE) gradually disappears as temperature is increased. At a given temperature, the higher the current level, the smaller LFE and stronger HFE are observed. To explain the observed MFEs a composite model based on magnetic-field dependent singlet-to-triplet conversion of electron-hole pairs and magnetic-field mediated triplet–triplet annihilation process is proposed in this paper.     

Organic alternating current electroluminescence device based on 4,4′-bis(N-phenyl-1-naphthylamino) biphenyl/1,4,5,8,9,11-hexaazatriphenylene charge generation unit

An organic alternating current electroluminescence (OACEL) device based on 4,4′-bis(N-phenyl-1-naphthylamino) biphenyl (NPB)/1,4,5,8,9,11-hexaazatriphenylene (HAT-CN)/tris(8-hydroxy-quin-olinato) aluminum (Alq₃) doped with cesium carbonate (Cs₂CO₃) internal charge generation unit is demonstrated. Maximum luminance of 299 cd/m² is observed for Alq₃ doped with 10-(2-Benzothiazolyl)-2,3,6,7-tetrahydro-1,1,7,7-tetramethyl-1H,5H, 11H-(1) benzopyropyrano (6,7-8-I,j)quinolizin-11-one (C545T) fluorescent emission layer when driven with a peak–peak voltage of 80 V at 120 kHz. The key charge-generation role of NPB/HAT-CN interface is studied experimentally. Furthermore, influence of evaporation sequence of this internal charge generation unit on OACEL performance is investigated. This work demonstrated that the undoped charge generation unit – NPB/HATCN, can also be a good candidate for charge generation unit of OACEL device.     

Dual enhancing properties of LiF with varying positions inside organic light-emitting devices

A multilayer organic light-emitting device (OLED) has been fabricated with a thin (0.3 nm) lithium fluoride (LiF) layer inserted inside an electron transport layer (ETL), aluminum tris(8-hydroxyquinoline) (Alq₃). The LiF electron injection layer (EIL) has not been used at an Al/Alq₃ interface in the device on purpose to observe properties of LiF. The electron injection-limited OLED with the LiF layer inside 50 nm Alq₃ at a one forth, a half or a three forth position assures two different enhancing properties of LiF. When the LiF layer is positioned closer to the Al cathode, the injection-limited OLED shows enhanced injection by Al interdiffusion. The Al interdiffusion at least up to 12.5 nm inside Alq₃ rules out the possible insulating buffer model in a small molecule bottom-emission (BE) OLED with a thin, less than one nanometer, electron injection layer (EIL). If the position is further away from the Al cathode, the Al diffusion reaches the LiF layer no longer and the device shows the electroluminescence (EL) enhancement without an enhanced injection. The suggested mechanism of LiF EL efficiency enhancer is that the thin LiF layer induces carrier trap sites and the trapped charges alters the distribution of the field inside the OLED and, consequently, gives a better recombination of the device. By substituting the Alq₃ ETL region with copper phthalocyanine (CuPc), all of the electron injection from the cathode of Al/CuPc interface, the induced recombination at the Alq₃ emitting layer (EML) by the LiF EL efficiency enhancer, and the operating voltage reduction from high conductive CuPc can be achieved. The enhanced property reaches 100 mA/cm² of current density and 1000 cd/m² of luminance at 5 V with its turn-on slightly larger than 2 V. The enhanced device is as good as our previously reported non-injection limited LiF EIL device [Yeonjin Yi, Seong Jun Kang, Kwanghee Cho, Jong Mo Koo, Kyul Han, Kyongjin Park, Myungkeun Noh, Chung Nam Whang, Kwangho Jeong, Appl. Phys. Lett. 86 (2005) 213502].     

Influence of host matrix on thermally-activated delayed fluorescence: Effects on emission lifetime,photoluminescence quantum yield,and device performance

The influence of the host molecules on the photoluminescent (PL) and electroluminescent (EL) properties of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) emitters showing efficient thermally-activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) has yet to be investigated in detail. Here we demonstrate that the choice of host can cause large variations in the PL quantum yield (Φ_PL ∼15–70%) and delayed PL transient decay (τ_del ∼2–70 ms) of a spiro-acridine-based TADF guest. We show that the effect of exciplex formation on Φ_PL must be considered even at low concentrations of the TADF guest. Using the same TADF guest but changing the host layer, we are able to greatly vary the PL transient decay time from ∼4 to ∼70 ms while maintaining a high Φ_PL ∼70%, which can lead to new applications. Detailed spectral characterization during PL decay reveals a gradually increasing singlet–triplet energy gap (ΔE_ST) as the origin of these observations. The time-varying ΔE_ST is explained based on dipole interactions between the host and guest molecules. Finally, PL and electrical considerations for host selection are discussed based on the performance of OLED devices.     

MoO3 as p-type dopant for Alq3-based p–i–n homojunction organic light-emitting diodes

Using high-work-function material MoO₃ as a p-type dopant, efficient single-layer hybrid organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) with the p–i–n homojunction structure are investigated. When MoO₃ and Cs₂CO₃ are doped into the conventional emitting/electron-transport material tris-(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum (Alq₃), respectively, a significant increase in p- and n-type conductivities is observed compared to that of intrinsic Alq₃ thin films. With optimal doping, the hole and electron mobilities in Alq₃:MoO₃ and Alq₃:Cs₂CO₃ films was estimated to be 9.76 × 10⁻⁶ and 1.26 × 10⁻⁴ cm²/V s, respectively, which is about one order of magnitude higher than that of the undoped device. The p–i–n OLEDs outperform undoped (i–i–i) and single-dopant (p–i–i and i–i–n) OLEDs; they have the lowest turn-on voltage (4.3 V at 1 cd/m²), highest maximum luminance (5860 cd/m² at 11.4 V), and highest luminous efficiency (2.53 cd/A at 100 mA/cm²). These values are better than those for bilayer heterojunction OLEDs using the same emitting layer. The increase in conductivity can be attributed to the charge transfer process between the Alq₃ host and the dopant. Due to the change of carrier concentration in the Alq₃ films, the Fermi level of Alq₃ is close to the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) or lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy levels upon p- and n-type doping, respectively, and the carrier injection efficiency can thus be enhanced because of the lower carrier injection barrier. The carriers move closer to the center energy levels of the HOMO or LUMO distributions, which increases the hopping rate for charge transport and results in an increase of charge carrier mobility. The electrons are the majority charge carriers, and both the holes and electrons can be dramatically injected in high numbers and then efficiently recombined in the p–i–n OLEDs. As a result, the improved conductivity characteristics as well as the appropriate energy levels of the doped layers result in improved electroluminescent performance of the p–i–n homojunction OLEDs.     

Defect characterization of Tl4GaIn3Se2S6 layered single crystals by photoluminescence

Photoluminescence (PL) spectra of Tl₄GaIn₃Se₂S₆ layered crystals grown by the Bridgman method have been studied in the energy region of 2.02–2.35 eV and in the temperature range of 16–45 K. A broad PL band centered at 2.20 eV was observed at T=16 K. Variations of emission band has been studied as a function of excitation laser intensity in the 0.1 to 149.9 mW cm⁻² range. Radiative transitions from shallow donor level located at 10 meV below the bottom of conduction band to moderately deep acceptor level located at 180 meV above the top of the valence band were suggested to be responsible for the observed PL band. An energy level diagram showing transitions in the band gap of the crystal was plotted taking into account the results of present work and previously reported paper on thermally stimulated current measurements carried out below room temperature. Analysis of the transmission and reflection measurements performed in the wavelength range of 400–1030 nm at room temperature revealed the presence of indirect transitions with 2.22 eV band gap energy.     

The electronic structure of Ni-phthalocyanine/metal interfaces studied by X-ray and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy

Nickel phthalocyanine (NiPc) thin films were grown stepwise on polycrystalline gold and silver substrates and the formed interfaces were characterized by X-ray and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopies (XPS, UPS). The variation of the XPS core level binding energy with NiPc film thickness yields information about band bending and interface dipoles. The valence band structure of the NiPc thin films was determined by UPS and exhibits four main features at binding energies 1.50 eV, 3.80 eV, 6.60 eV and 8.85 eV, respectively. The NiPc highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) cut-off was measured at ∼1.00 eV from the analyzer Fermi level and from the measured work function change of the growing NiPc film a final work function value for NiPc was estimated at 3.90 ± 0.10 eV. The main C1s peak of the NiPc film (∼5.0 nm) consists of two components at 284.8 eV (C–C bonds), 286.2 eV (C–N bonds) reflecting photoemission from multiple carbon sites within the molecule and a satellite at 287.9 eV, whereas the Ni2p and N1s peaks appear at ∼855.9 eV and ∼399.3 eV, respectively and are due to Ni–N bonds. The energy level diagrams of the NiPc/Au and NiPc/Ag interfaces were determined from a combination of the XPS and UPS results, yielding a hole injection barrier of 0.90 ± 0.10 eV for both substrates.     

Comparison of two cohost systems for doped red organic light-emitting devices in an effort to improve the efficiency and the lifetime

Blue-emitting 2-methyl-9,10-di(2-napthyl)anthracene (MADN) and yellow-emitting 5,6,11,12-tetraphenylnaphthacene (rubrene) were used as cohost materials together with tris(8-hydroxyquinolinato)aluminum (Alq₃) to form emission layers doped with the red dopant molecule 4-(dicyanomethylene)-2-t-butyl-6-(1,1,7,7-tetramethyljulolidyl-9-enyl)-4H-pyran (DCJTB). DCJTB-doped red organic light-emitting diodes based on both cohost systems showed remarkable improvements in terms of efficiency compared to DCJTB-doped Alq₃ single-host devices. With 2% DCJTB doping, the respective efficiencies of Alq₃ single-host, Alq₃ (60%)/rubrene (40%)-, and Alq₃ (20%)/MADN (80%)-cohost devices were 1.79, 4.44 and 5.42 cd/A at 20 mA/cm². Unlike Alq₃/rubrene-cohost devices, which experienced substantial current-induced quenching, Alq₃/MADN-cohost devices showed only a slight efficiency change at high current densities. At the luminance of 7680 cd/m², which was the benchmark for a practical passive-matrix OLED array with 64 scan-lines, an aperture ratio of 50%, and a polarizer transmittance of 50%, the power efficiency of the 2% DCJTB Alq₃/MADN-cohost device was 4.1 and 1.5 times better than that of Alq₃ single-host and Alq₃/rubrene-cohost devices, respectively. Moreover, the half-decay lifetime of the Alq₃/MADN-cohost device, measured as 14,000 h at an initial luminance of 1000 cd/m², was 4.4 and 1.9 times longer than the respective half-decay lifetimes of Alq₃ single-host and Alq₃/rubrene-cohost devices.     

Structural characterization of Zn1−xCdxO (0≤x≤0.20) microrods grown by spray pyrolysis

Zn_1−xCd_xO (x= 0.00, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15 and 0.20) thin films were obtained by spray pyrolysis and characterized by XRD, SEM, EDAX and optical measurements. The Zn_1−xCd_xO microrods are in the wurtzite crystallographic phase with (0 0 2) preferred orientation. A narrowing of the fundamental band gap from 3.30 to 3.10 eV was observed with the increasing nominal Cd content up to 20 at% due to the direct modulation of the band gap caused by Cd substitution. The undoped ZnO film showed two emission bands in the spectra: one sharp UV luminescence at ∼382 nm and one broad visible emission ranging from 430 to 600 nm. The sharp peak at ∼382 nm is split into two at 376 and 400 nm upon Cd doping at levels of 5 and 10 at%. However this splitting is not observed in the doped ZnO samples containing 15 at% Cd and more. It should also be mentioned that the broad peak at the range of 430–600 nm has almost disappeared in the films containing 5, 10 and 15 at% Cd.     

Fluorene trimers with various 9,9′-substituents: The synthesis,characteristics, condensed state structures,and electroluminescence properties

The four fluorene-based trimers with various aromatic and alkyl substituents (T1–T4) are synthesized and characterized. These oligomers show the similar electronic absorption and emission characteristics (e.g., absorption peak at 351 nm, and highly efficient deep blue emission at 394 nm in solution), indicating that the major electronic properties of the core chromophore are essentially independent of the substituents. However, the condensed state structures and thermal properties of four trimers are found to be different from each other, from crystalline (full alkyl (T1) or full aromatic (T2) substituted trimers) to amorphous (mixed aromatic and alkyl (T4) substituted trimers). The effect of different condensed state structures on electroluminescence device properties is presented: The blue light-emitting devices with accordant structure of ITO/PEDOT:PSS/TCTA (40 nm)/trimers (40 nm)/BCP (10 nm)/Alq₃ (20 nm)/LiF/Al exhibit different EL efficiency (2.9% of T2, 1.8% of T3 and 2.7% of T4). Using amorphous T4, the white light-emitting device of ITO/TCTA (40 nm)/rubrene (0.1 nm)/T4 (8 nm)/Alq₃(52 nm)/LiF/Al is fabricated with high efficiency (6.15 cd A⁻¹), high brightness (9500 cd m⁻²) and good white light CIE coordinates (0.32, 0.37).     

Effect of doping of cesium carbonate on electron transport in Tris(8-hydroxyquinolinato) aluminum

Electron transport studies in Tris(8-hydroxyquinolinato) aluminum (Alq₃) is hindered due to lack of efficient electron injecting electrode. We demonstrate that an electron injection layer of Cs₂CO₃ forms ohmic contact with Alq₃, which enables the observation of SCLC. This allows us to directly determine the electron mobility in Alq₃, which was found to be 1 × 10^?9 m²/V s at room temperature. Doping of Cs₂CO₃ leads to increase in conductivity as well as mobility. Mobility has increased to 1 × 10^?7 m²/V s for 33% doping of Cs₂CO₃.     

Blue/green luminescence based on Zn(S)Se/GaAs heterostructures

Substantial advances have been realized in the aim to achieve blue–green light emitting devices based on Zn(S)Se wide band gap II–VI semi-conductor materials. Two light emitting diodes p on n and n on p heterostructures were grown on GaAs substrate by molecular beam epitaxy. The active layer was a single ZnCdSe quantum well, with ZnSSe guiding layers and ZnSe cladding layers. p-GaInP, p-AlGaAs and p-CdZnSe buffer layers were deposited at the p-ZnSe/GaAs interface to reduce the valence band offset in the case of n on p heterostructures. Electrical and optical properties were investigated using current voltage, capacitance voltage, electroluminescence, photoluminescence and photocurrent measurements at room temperature. Blue–green luminescence centered at 516.7 nm is observed. The highest luminescence intensity is observed under 7 V forward bias. Photoluminescence spectrum shows two wide peaks at 2.2 and 1.9 eV energies. These energies are attributed to the transitions between ZnSe and GaAs conduction bands and the deep level at E_v−0.6 eV. Absorption process from ZnSe and ZnSSe conduction bands to the shallow nitrogen acceptor level (2.6 and 2.8 eV, respectively) have been observed using photocurrent measurements. From these results we present a band alignment diagram which confirms the presence of the two levels at 0.1 and 0.6 eV from the valence band of ZnSe.     

Blue light-emitting OLED using new spiro[fluorene-7,9′-benzofluorene] host and dopant materials

A new spiro-type compound, 2-(10-biphenylanthracene)-spiro[fluorene-7,9′-benzofluorene] (BH-3B) containing anthracene moiety was prepared for the blue host material. Also new dopant materials, 2-[4′-(phenyl-4-vinylbenzeneamine)phenyl-spiro[fluorene-7,9′-benzofluorene] (BH-3BD) and 4-[2-naphthyl-4′(phenyl-4-vinylbenzeneamine)]phenyl (BD-1N) were successfully synthesized and a blue OLEDs were made from them. The structure of the device was as follows; ITO/DNTPD/α-NPD/Host:5% dopant/Alq₃/Al-LiF. Among all of the devices, the device obtained from BH-3B host doped with 5% BH-3BD showed the best electroluminescence characteristics. The emission peak of EL is at 456 nm and the CIE value is (0.15, 0.14). The brightness of the device is up to 5407 cd/m² at 10 V with the maximum EL efficiency of 3.4 cd/A.     

Broadband nuclear magnetic resonance using DC SQUID amplifiers

We have constructed two pulsed NMR spectrometers in which the signal is coupled to the input coil of a low T_c DC SQUID using a superconducting flux transformer, yielding broadband response, with bandwidth determined by the SQUID electronics. A 50 kHz bandwidth commercial system has been used to observe free induction decay signals from platinum powder, bulk platinum, ³He gas and surface monolayers of ³He in the temperature range from 1.4 to 4.2 K and at frequencies from 5 to 40 kHz. The observed signal-to-noise ratio is as calculated with the noise dominated by flux noise in the SQUID in all samples but the bulk metal. A second system, which operates in flux-locked loop mode with bandwidth of 3.4 MHz using a SQUID with additional positive feedback, has been used to observe NMR signals from platinum powder at frequencies from 38 to 513 kHz and at a temperature of 4.2 K. The advantage of this technique in the study of systems with short T₂ at frequencies below 1 MHz is discussed. In addition we discuss the benefits of both broadband and tuned input circuits for NMR detection and we describe the performance of a spectrometer with a tuned input circuit which has been used to obtain signals at 1 MHz from platinum powder at 4.2 K and from ∼2 layers of ³He absorbed on a surface area of 0.11 m² at 1.7 K. The amplifier noise temperature is predicted to be 60 mK in the ³He experiment. This demonstrates the potential of the tuned set-up for measurements at low millikelvin temperatures on systems with low spin density and with T₂ greater than several hundred microseconds.     

Studying singlet fission and triplet fusion by magneto-electroluminescence method in singlet–triplet energy-resonant organic light-emitting diodes

Organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) utilizing a singlet–triplet energy-resonant (E_S ≈ 2E_T) layer (rubrene) were fabricated to investigate the singlet fission and triplet fusion by the magneto-electroluminescence (MEL) of device from R.T. to 20 K. A large positive MEL (23.5%) was obtained at R.T. due to magnetic-field-suppressed singlet fission. With decreasing temperatures, the MELs changed their signs both at low-field and high-field components because of a gradual decrease in singlet fission simultaneously followed by an increasing triplet fusion, leading to a negative MEL around −7.5% at 20 K. Moreover, transient electroluminescence and MELs from the control devices were used to further confirm the exciton fission and fusion processes in rubrene-based OLEDs. Our findings of MEL may provide a useful pathway to study the microscopic dynamics of excited states in organic optoelectronic devices.     

Solution-processable and thermal-stable triphenylamine-based dendrimers with truxene cores as hole-transporting materials for organic light-emitting devices

Two solution processable π-conjugated triphenylamine-based dendrimers, Tr-TPA3 and Tr-TPA9 were served as hole-transporting materials (HTMs) for organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs). The two dendrimers exhibit similar absorption and emission behaviors in solutions and thin films, which demonstrate that these dendrimers can form amorphous states in their films. The dendrimers showed excellent solubility, which are soluble in common organic solvents such as chloroform, tetrahydrofuran, and 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane, high thermal stability with high glass-transition temperature (T_g) of 115 °C for Tr-TPA3 and 140 °C for Tr-TPA9, high the highest unoccupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energy level (?5.12 eV for Tr-TPA3 and ?4.95 eV for Tr-TPA9, respectively) and good film forming property. When we employed these dendrimers as hole transport layer (HTL) in tris-(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum (Alq₃)-emitting electroluminescence (EL) devices, the Tr-TPA9-based double-layer device exhibited the turn-on voltage of 2.5 V, the maximum luminance of about 11,058 cd m^?2 and the maximum current efficiency of 4.01 cd A^?1. The comparison of the properties between the EL devices with dendrimers as HTL and the EL device with 1,4-bis(1-naphthylphenylamino)biphenyl (NPB) as HTL indicated that this series of dendrimers can be good candidates for HTM in OLEDs.     

White OLED based on a temperature sensitive Eu3+/Tb3+ β-diketonate complex

A mixed lanthanide β-diketonate complex of molecular formula [Eu_0.45Tb_0.55(btfa)₃(4,4′-bpy)(EtOH)] (btfa^– = 4,4,4–trifluoro–1–phenyl–1,3–butanedionate; 4,4′-bpy = 4,4′-dipyridyl; EtOH = ethanol) was synthesized and its structure was elucidated by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The temperature dependence of the complex emission intensity between 11 and 298 K is illustrated by the Commission Internacionale l’Éclairage (CIE) (x, y) color coordinates change within the orange-red region, from (0.521, 0.443) to (0.658, 0.335). The existence of Tb³⁺-to-Eu³⁺ energy transfer was observed at room temperature and as the complex presents a relatively high emission quantum yield (0.34 ± 0.03) it was doped in a 4,4′-bis(carbazol-9-yl)biphenyl (CBP) organic matrix to be used as emitting layer to fabricate a white organic light-emitting diode (WOLED). Continuous electroluminescence emission was obtained varying the applied bias voltage showing a wide emission band from 400 to 700 nm. The white emission results from a combined action between the Eu³⁺ and Tb³⁺ peaks from the mixed Eu³⁺/Tb³⁺ complex and the other organic layers forming the device. The intensity ratio of the peaks is determined by the layer thickness and by the bias voltage applied to the OLED, allowing us to obtain a color tunable light source.     

Deep blue/ultraviolet microcavity OLEDs based on solution-processed PVK:CBP blends

There is an increasing need to develop stable, high-intensity, efficient OLEDs in the deep blue and UV. Applications include blue pixels for displays and tunable narrow solid-state UV sources for sensing, diagnostics, and development of a wide band spectrometer-on-a-chip. With the aim of developing such OLEDs we demonstrate an array of deep blue to near UV tunable microcavity (μc) OLEDs (λ ∼373–469 nm) using, in a unique approach, a mixed emitting layer (EML) of poly(N-vinyl carbazole) (PVK) and 4,4′-bis(9-carbazolyl)-biphenyl (CBP), whose ITO-based devices show a broad electroluminescence (EL) in the wavelength range of interest. This 373–469 nm band expands the 493–640 nm range previously attained with μcOLEDs into the desired deep blue-to-near UV range. Moreover, the current work highlights interesting characteristics of the complexity of mixed EML emission in combinatorial 2-d μcOLED arrays of the structure 40 nm Ag/x  nm MoO_x/∼30 nm PVK:CBP (3:1 weight ratio)/y  nm 4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline (BPhen)/1 nm LiF/100 nm Al, where x = 5, 10, 15, and 20 nm and y = 10, 15, 20, and 30 nm. In the short wavelength μc devices, only CBP emission was observed, while in the long wavelength μc devices the emission from both PVK and CBP was evident. To understand this behavior simulations based on the scattering matrix method, were performed. The source profile of the EML was extracted from the measured EL of ITO-based devices. The calculated μc spectra indeed indicated that in the thinner, short wavelength devices the emission is primarily from CBP; in the thicker devices both CBP and PVK contribute to the EL. This situation is due to the effect of the optical cavity length on the relative contributions of PVK and CBP EL through a change in the wavelength-dependent emission rate, which was not suggested previously. Structural analysis of the EML and the preceding MoO_x layer complemented the data analysis.     

Microwave properties and applications of Y–Ba–Cu–O thin films grown on various substrates

Microwave properties of YBa₂Cu₃O_7-δ (YBCO) films grown on (100) LaAlO₃ (LAO), (110) NdGaO₃ (NGO) and (001) SrLaAlO₄ (SLAO) substrates were studied in the form of a microstrip ring resonator at temperatures above 20 K. The YBCO resonator on a SLAO substrate showed microwave properties better than or comparable to other YBCO resonators on LAO substrates. For the YBCO resonators on LAO and SLAO substrates, both Q_U and f₀ appeared to decrease as the temperature was raised. Meanwhile the resonator on a NGO substrate showed different behaviors with Q_U showing a peak at ∼70 K, which are attributed to the unique temperature dependence of the loss tangent of the NGO substrate. An X-band oscillator with a YBCO ring resonator coupled to the circuit was prepared and its properties were investigated at low temperatures. The frequency of the oscillator signal appeared to change from 7.925 GHz at 30 K to 7.878 GHz at 77 K, which was mostly attributed to the change in f₀ of the YBCO ring resonator. The signal power appeared to be more than 4.5 mW at 30 K and 2.1 mW at 77 K, respectively. At 55 K, the frequency of the oscillator signal was 7.917 GHz with the 3 dB-linewidth of 450 Hz.