Improvement of sensor performance of high-TC thin filmplanar SQUID gradiometers by ion beam etching

The sensor performance of galvanically coupled Y₁Ba₂Cu₃O_7-x (YBCO) dc SQUID gradiometers on 24° bicrystal substrates has been improved by thickness reduction in the region of the grain boundary Josephson junctions using ion beam etching. The prepared etching mask allows the reduction of the critical current by more than one order of magnitude while the SQUID inductance is slightly increased. This treatment shifts the SQUID parameter β_L from values above 10 to the proposed optimum around 1. The authors observed with decreasing critical current and increasing normal resistance a reduced I_CR_N product with values between 300 and 400 μV at 150-nm film thickness changing to values near 150 μV at 50-nm film thickness. Despite this fact, the white flux noise level as well as the low-frequency noise is reduced. With their galvanically coupled 4×8 mm² dc SQUID gradiometer the authors obtained a white noise level of 4.2 μΦ₀/√Hz corresponding to a field gradient sensitivity of 430 fT/cm√Hz at 77 K after the trimming process     

Temporal stability of circulating current in thin film Tl2Ba2CaCu2O8 and YBa2Cu3O7

The temporal stability of trapped transport current in annular thin film Tl₂Ba₂CaCu₂O₈ (TBCCO) and YBa₂Cu₃O₇ (YBCO) wafers has been accurately measured and has been found to be of suitable quality for the stringent requirements of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) magnets. No detectable decay, to the limit of the experimental apparatus (2*10^-14 Ω), was detected in those wafers with transport current at or below the critical current density J_c. The critical current density, as previously determined from 12 μm meander lines, was confirmed in a wafer with a width of 1.9 cm. The profile of trapped magnetic field resulting from induced current was modeled in order to assess its effect on the uniformity of an NMR magnet     

The propagation characteristics of wave-guiding structures withvery thin superconductors; application to coplanar waveguide YBa2Cu3O7-x resonators

The propagation characteristics of waveguiding structures with superconductors which are thin compared to the magnetic penetration depth are analyzed. The complex propagation constant is evaluated within the framework of the modified spectral domain method without the need for numerical calculations in the complex plane. Good agreement is found with the results of other methods. The numerical analysis is instrumental in deducing results for the penetration depth and the surface resistance of YBa₂Cu₃O_7-x thin films on sapphire with a PrBa₂Cu₃O_7-x buffer layer. Recent observations of a non-single-gap BCS temperature dependence are confirmed     

Voltage tunable capacitors using high temperature superconductorsand ferroelectrics

In this paper we report the construction of both slot capacitors on bulk substrate and thin film interdigital capacitors using YBa₂ Cu₃O_7-δ (YBCO) and Ba_xSr _1-xTiO₃. Slot capacitors made on bulk Ba_x Sr_1-xTiO₃ (BST) yielded variations in capacitance of more than 6 to 1 at 86 K with a peak electric field strength of 25 kV/cm. With a metal organic deposition (MOD) grown Ba_xSr_1-xTiO₃ 300-nm overcoat on a YBCO thin film, an interdigital capacitor on LaAlO₃ substrate yielded an approximate tuning range of 10% for peak field of 66 kV/cm over temperatures ranging from 50 K to 120 K     

Stripline resonator measurements of Zs versus Hrf in YBa2Cu3O7-x thin films

A report is presented on measurements of the surface impedance, Z_S, of YBa₂Cu₃O_7-x thin films using a stripline resonator. The films were deposited on LaAlO₃ substrates by off-axis magnetron sputtering. The authors obtained Z_S as a function of frequency from 1.5 to 20 GHz, as a function of temperature from 4 K to the transition temperature (~90 K), and as a function of the RF magnetic field from zero to 300 Oe. At low temperatures the surface resistance, R _S, of the films shows a very weak dependence on the magnetic field up to 225 to 250 Oe. At 77 K, R_S is proportional to the square of the field. The penetration depth shows a much weaker dependence on the field than does R_S. The origins of the magnetic field dependence of Z_S are also discussed     

Nd:Y2O3透明陶瓷4F3/2-4I11/2跃迁光谱及高效激光输出

报道了采用真空烧结法结合热等静压技术制备的Nd:Y₂O₃透明陶瓷的荧光光谱特性及相关激光输出。通过与Nd:YAG透明陶瓷的荧光光谱对比,表明Nd:Y₂O₃透明陶瓷的4F_3/2-4I_11/2跃迁光谱存在着多个增益相当的谱线,这更有利于实现同时双波长段激光振荡;不同斯塔克子跃迁光谱的离散特性有利于通过腔镜镀膜控制不同波长损耗,获得丰富的1.0~1.1 μm波段激光。利用简单的平平两镜腔结构完成进一步的实验,通过选择的输出镜片镀膜获得了输出功率3.62 W、转换效率40.4%的1074.6 nm和1078.8 nm的双波长输出和输出功率1.7 W、转换效率19.4%的1130.3 nm波长输出。     

Possibility ofNd1.9Ba1.1Cu3O7+δ andPr1.14Ba1.86Cu3O7-δsingle crystals for insulator in high-speed superconductingcircuits

Dielectric properties of both Nd_1.9Ba_1.1Cu ₃O_7+δ (NBCO-213) and Pr_1.14Ba_1.86Cu₃O_7-δ (Pr-rich PBCO) single crystals have been examined at low temperature. These materials have good lattice matching to high-T_c superconductors (HTS), but they are conductive at room temperature. Below 80 K, they are insulators with low dielectric constants, ε _τ below 25, and low dielectric loss tan δ below 0.1 at 100 kHz. The value of ε_τ is suitable for insulators in integrated circuits using strip line widths of 10 μm order, providing short delay time, no excitation of surface wave, and low radiation loss. The value of tan δ is comparable to loss of superconducting surface resistance above 100 GHz. These results indicate the applicability for the insulator layers in multilayer superconducting electronic devices such as Single Flux Quantum (SFQ) circuits operated at high speed     

Increasing the current density of dielectric-base transistors withan MgO emitter-base barrier

We measured the current-voltage characteristics of YBa₂Cu₃O_7-x/oxide/n-SrTiO₃ diodes using NdGaO₃, LaAlO₃, CeO₂, and MgO as the oxide. MgO films had the highest current density. We then fabricated dielectric-base transistors with a YBa₂Cu₃ O_7-x(YBCO) emitter/collector on a SrTiO₃ dielectric base with an MgO barrier. The transistors had both voltage and current gains exceeding unity at 4.2 K. The emitter current density was about 4×10³ A/cm² at a collector-emitter voltage of 10 V and base-emitter voltage 10 V; this is 2 to 3 orders of magnitude larger than that of transistors with NdGaO₃ emitter-base barrier. We obtained a transconductance of around 0.4 mS at a collector-emitter voltage of 10 V for a device with a 6-μm-diameter emitter     

Studies of yttrium oxide films prepared by RF magnetron sputtering

Films of yttrium oxide (Y₂O₃) were deposited on Si substrates from a Y₂O₃ target by RF magnetron sputtering. MIS capacitors in the form of Al and Y₂O₃ (400 Å)-Si were then fabricated. The leakage current density was about 10^-6 A/cm² at 1.3×10⁶ V/cm, and the breakdown field of the films was about 2.75×10⁶ V/cm. The dielectric constant of the sputtered Y₂O₃ was found to be about 12-12.7     

Optical detector using granularYBa2Cu3O7-δ weak link-typejunctions

Experimental photoresponse study of granular YBa₂Cu₃O_7-x (YBCO) weak link is reported. The Josephson critical current I_c is suppressed with light illumination of the junction, produced mainly from optical generation of quasiparticles. At lower temperature (T=64.5 K), the hysteresis in I-V characteristic of the weak link appears, which may be found useful for optical detection purpose. This was supported from preliminary experiments     

Hybrid high temperature superconductor/GaAs 10 GHz microwaveoscillator: temperature and bias effects

Hybrid YBa₂Cu₃O_7-x superconductor/GaAs microwave oscillators have been designed, fabricated and characterized. The planar oscillators were built on a single 10 mm×10 mm LaAlO₃ substrate. The active elements in the hybrid oscillators were GaAs MESFETs. A ring resonator was used to select and stabilize the frequency. A superconducting ring resonator had a loaded Q at 77 Kg which was 8 times larger than the loaded Q of a ring resonator fabricated out of copper. S-parameters of the GaAs FET were measured at cryogenic temperatures and used to design the oscillator which had a reflection mode configuration. The transmission lines, RF chokes and bias lines were all fabricated from YBa₂Cu₃ O_7-x superconducting thin films. The performance of the oscillators was measured as a function of temperature. The rate of change of the frequency as a function of temperature was smaller for an oscillator patterned from a pulsed laser deposited film than for an oscillator patterned from a sputtered film. As a function of bias at 77 K, the best circuit had an output power of 11.5 dBm and a maximum efficiency of 11.7% The power of the second harmonic was 25 dB to 35 dB below that of the fundamental, for every circuit. At 77 K, the best phase noise of the superconducting oscillators was 68 dBc/Hz at an offset frequency of 10 kHz and less than -93 dBc/Hz at an offset frequency of 100 kHz. At an offset frequency of 10 kHz, the superconducting oscillator had 12 dB less phase noise than the copper oscillator at 77 K     

Application of high Tc superconductors asfrequency selective surfaces: experiment and theory

The use of YBa₂Cu₃O_7-x and Tl₂CaBa₂Cu₂O₈ high-temperature superconducting thin films to fabricate frequency selective surfaces (FSS) at millimeter-wave frequencies (75-110 GHz) is discussed. An analytical/numerical model was applied, using a Floquet expansion and the method of moments, to analyze bandstop superconducting frequency selective surfaces. Experimental results were compared with the model, and showed agreement with resonant frequency prediction with an accuracy of better than 1%. The use of the superconducting frequency selective surfaces as quasi-optical millimeter-wave bandpass filters was also demonstrated     

Oxidized Ta2O5/Si3N4dielectric films on poly-crystalline Si for dRAMs

A dielectric film technology characterized by a novel multilayer structure formed by oxidation of Ta₂O₅/Si₃ N₄ films on polysilicon has been developed to realize high-density dRAMs. The dry oxidation of the Ta₂O₅/Si₃N₄ layers was performed at temperatures higher than 900°C. This film has a capacitance per unit area from 5.5 to 6.0 fF/ μm², which is equivalent to that of a 6.0- to 6.5-nm-thick SiO₂. The leakage current at an effective electric field of 5 MV/cm is less than 10^-9 A/cm². Under such an electric field, the extrapolated time to failure for 50% cumulative failure can be as high as 1000 years     

Template patterning of YBa2Cu3O7

We demonstrate the use of thin chromium layers to define structures in YBa₂Cu₃O₇ deposited by laser ablation. The chromium reacts with copper to form an insulating crystalline compound containing copper and chromium in equal amounts. Although the reaction will proceed up to approximately 1 μm into the defined pattern, the formation of a crystalline compound means that the extent of the reaction is limited by the availability of chromium. We have defined large-area, regular grids of tiny chromium pads, yielding a grid of insulating islands of approximately 600 nm in size after YBa₂Cu₃O₇ deposition. Electrical measurements show the influence of such a pattern on the R-T characteristics of the YBa₂Cu₃O₇.     

Influence of Ho-Doping on the Electromagnetic Field-Dependent $E$–$J$ Characteristics of (Bi,Pb)-2212 Superconductor

The magnetic field (B ) dependence of electric field versus transport current density (E-J characteristics) of Bi_1.6Pb_0.5Sr_2-xHo_xCa_1.1Cu_2.1O_8+delta superconductor was studied for x from 0.000 to 0.200. The behavior of supercurrent flow under magnetic fields in Ho-doped (Bi,Pb)-2212 is explained using thermally activated flux-creep. The n -value and characteristic pinning energy ( U_c) estimated from E-J characteristics show that at applied fields, the flux-lines in Ho-doped samples are in the glass-state. A correlation is observed between n -index and J_c of doped samples. The highly enhanced critical current density (J_c) and n-index in both self- and applied-fields due to Ho-doping is of great scientific and technological significance.     

磁控管用新型直热式稀土铪酸钆陶瓷阴极研究

为了提高大功率磁控管的输出功率,延长其使用寿命,采用难熔稀土氧化钆和过渡金属氧化铪制备大功率磁控管用新型直热式稀土铪酸钆陶瓷阴极,并对该阴极的热发射特性和寿命特性等进行了测试,热发射测试结果显示该阴极在1300℃ br即可提供0.1A/cm²发射电流密度,1600℃ br下可提供超过1.93A/cm²的发射电流密度.寿命实验结果显示,该阴极在1500℃ br,直流负载为0.5A/cm²的条件下,寿命已经超过4000h.最后,利用X射线衍射仪、扫描电镜、能谱分析仪、氩离子深度刻蚀俄歇电镜等设备分别对该阴极活性物质的分子结构,阴极表面微观形貌、元素成分及含量等进行了分析.结果表明,高温烧结合成了单一的铪酸钆物相,烧结过程中当一种Gd³⁺价稀土氧化钆掺入Hf⁴⁺价的过渡金属氧化铪时,会发生离子置换固溶,为了保持铪酸钆晶格的电中性,晶格中就会产生一个氧空位.当阴极在激活、老练、热发射测试时,会加速氧空位的生成,产生的氧空位越多,阴极表面导电性就会越好,这间接降低了逸出功,从而提高了阴极的热发射能力.     

LaNiO3: a promising material for contact with YBa2Cu3O7-x thin films

Epitaxial LaNiO₃ metallic oxide thin films have been grown on c-axis oriented YBa₂Cu₃O_7-δ thin films on LaAlO₃ substrates by pulsed laser deposition technique and the interface formed between the two films has been examined by measuring the contact conductance of the same. The specific contact conductance of the interface measured using a modified four probe method was found to be 1.4 to 6×10⁴ ohm^-1 cm^-2 at 77 K. There are indications that contact conductance can be brought closer to that obtained for noble metal-YBCO interface     

A polarized brightness-enhancedNd:Y3Al5Ol2 planar waveguide laser

A simple method for the production of a polarized Nd:Y₃Al₅0₁₂ on Y₃Al₅ O₁₂ planar waveguide laser is reported. A 50-nm layer of Au deposited on the surface of an unclad, 8.3-μm thick core region has produced an improvement in the TE/TM polarization extinction ratio from 7 to 27 dB. The M² of the beam in the guided plane has been reduced from 1.53±0.01 in an uncoated region of the waveguide to 1.17±0.01 in the Au-coated region using optimum pump launch conditions     

Noise sources across a normal-to-superconducting boundary in bulkYBa2Cu3O7-x

Experiments in which a normal-to-superconducting (NS) boundary is created in an originally superconducting bar of bulk YBa₂Cu ₃O_7-x is described. The first noise measurements associated with such a boundary are presented. A high-density (5.20 g-cm ^-3) sample (sample A) and a low density (4.23 g-cm^-3 ) sample (sample B) have been investigated. Common to both samples is 1/f² noise observed in the frequency region between about 15 and 50 Hz that can be associated with the NS boundary itself. Sample A also exhibits conventional 1/f noise as expected for the normal part of the boundary, below about 15 Hz. In contrast, sample B shows 1/f^1.5 noise in this region; since the sample contains considerably fewer small grains than sample A, any 1/f noise is presumably masked in B. It is suggested that the 1/f² noise might be associated with flux-flow noise     

DC characteristics of patternedYBa2Cu3O7-x superconducting thin-filmbolometers: artifacts related to Joule heating, ambient pressure, andmicrostructure

Joule heating due to the bias current and resistance of the material in patterned YBa₂Cu₃O_7-x, superconducting films on 250-500-μm-thick MgO, LaAlO₃, and SrTiO₃ crystalline substrates, results in a number of effects: (1) a temperature rise in the film with respect to the measured temperature at the bottom of the substrate; (2) a possible thermal runaway, which may be local or uniformly distributed in the film, depending upon the dimensions of the superconducting pattern relative to that of the substrate; (3) an apparently sharper normal-to-superconducting transition in the measure R versus T curve; and (4) decrease of T_c to 60 K (ΔT_x>20 K) after being subjected to high-bias currents j~10⁵ A/cm² under vacuum, with recovery of T_c after exposure to room atmosphere. The magnitude of R at T_c*onset is found to be dependent on bias current in granular samples, with a lower R at currents higher than some on-set value. The slope of R versus T in the transition region in our granular samples is found to be lower at higher bias currents, since the widening of the transition overcomes the shift caused by the Joule heating. These various phenomena impact the responsivity of bolometers made from these films, as well as the predictions of possible attainable responsivity and speculations of mechanisms occurring in the films. In particular, misinterpretation of the Joule heating sharpening of the R versus T curve has led to predictions of responsivities over one order of magnitude higher than are justified, and shifts in properties of the films due to heating have been misinterpreted as nonequilibrium responses of the films