Superconducting layers in silicon and germanium are fabricated via gallium implantation through a thin SiO_2 cover layer and subsequent rapid thermal annealing. Gallium accumulation at the SiO_2/Si and SiO_2/Ge interfaces is observed but no pure gallium phases were found. In both cases superconducting transition occurs around 6-7 K which can be attributed to the metallic conducting, gallium rich interface layer. However, the superconducting as well as the normal-state transport properties in gallium overdoped silicon or germanium are different.
Experimental results concerning persistent currents in small rings threaded by a magnetic flux do not agree with theoretical predictions, especially for experiments performed in diffusive regime. This suggests important role of disorder in these experiments. In this paper we demonstrate how impurities present in ring modify the persistent current by generating or enhancing charge density waves. The electronic correlations are taken into account for both repulsive as well as attractive electron-electron interaction. The calculations are carried out for one-dimensional rings consisting of up to 12 lattice sites using Lanczös exact diagonalization approach, and for finite-width much larger rings using the Bogolyubov-de Gennes equations.
The results of investigation of the MgB_2 inter-metallic compound with the use of boron ions implantation and plasma pulse treatment are presented. The samples were characterized by: four-probe electric conductivity measurements, magnetically modulated microwave absorption, and magnetic measurements. For hydrogen and argon pulsed plasma treatment the samples with T_c ranging from 10 K to 32 K were obtained. The superconducting phase does not form a continuous layer since the resistivity does not fall down to zero. Apparently, separate islands of superconducting phase are connected through metallic Mg paths. All samples are still below the percolation threshold.
Anisotropy of voltage noise in YBa_2Cu_3O_{7-δ} thin films was investigated using (103)/(013) oriented films. Normalized noise in the normal state does not depend on the direction of current flow, while in the superconducting state the noise is anisotropic. The difference stems from different origins of noise. Normal state noise is due to random motion of charge carriers while in the superconducting state it arises from fluctuations of density and/or velocity of flux vortices.
We have measured magnetic response of second-generation high temperature superconductor YBa_2Cu_3O_{x} wire and Nb thin film in perpendicular ac field as a function of temperature. We compare experimental complex ac susceptibility to the calculated susceptibility based on the model of Bean's critical-state response in two-dimensional disk in perpendicular field. The harmonic analysis is needed for comparison between the model and the experimental data. We present a method of linking model and experimental susceptibility. Good agreement of experimental susceptibility with model susceptibility of 2D disk allows contactless estimation of critical depinning current density and its temperature dependence.
In this work studies of structure and superconducting properties of VN-SiO_{2} films are reported. The films were obtained through thermal nitridation (ammonolysis) of sol-gel derived V_{2}O_{3}-SiO_{2} coatings (in a proper V_{2}O_{3}/SiO_{2} ratio) at 1200°C. This process leads to the formation of disordered structure with VN metallic grains dispersed in the insulating SiO_{2} matrix. The structural transformations occurring in the films as a result of ammonolysis were studied using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The critical superconducting parameters are obtained. The magnetoresistance at high magnetic fields has been investigated.
The results of investigation of the MgB_2 layers prepared on silicon substrate by implantation of Mg ions into boron substrate are presented. After implantation the annealing processes were carried out at temperatures 673 K, 773 K, and 873 K in a furnace in an atmosphere of flowing Ar-4%H_2 gas mixture. The samples were characterized by: four-probe electric conductivity measurements and magnetically modulated microwave absorption. Our results showed that due to silicon substrate the diffusion of implanted Mg ions into boron materials should be limited, and the superconducting phase forms a continuous MgB_2 layer and the resistivity for all samples fall down to zero below T_{c}. The transition temperature T_{c} becomes higher with increasing annealing temperature: T_{c}=18 K (for annealing at T_{A}=673 K), T_{c}=20 K (for annealing at T_{A}=773 K), and T_{c}=27 K (for annealing at T_{A}=873 K).
An attempt to synthesize superconducting MgB_2 inter-metallic compound from the liquid state is presented. The process consists of two steps. In the first one, boron ions are implanted into a magnesium substrate. In the second one, the near-surface region of such system is melted by short, intense hydrogen plasma pulses without necessity of annealing in Mg vapor. A magnetically modulated microwave absorption method was used to detect superconducting regions in the obtained MgB_2 layer. Percolation between nano-regions (islands) of MgB_2 has not been observed. However, a superconducting state of the insulated islands has been experimentally proven with transition temperatures T_C as high as 31 K.
Thin layers of MgB_x were studied in order to define evolution of superconducting phase after Mg ions implantation into boron substrate. Three fluencies of energies 140, 80, and 40 keV were used to establish proper stoichiometry to synthesize homogeneous MgB_2 film. Additionally, the annealing processes were carried out at temperatures 400, 500, and 600°C in a furnace in an atmosphere of flowing Ar-4%H_2 gas mixture. The quality of the superconducting material was examined by magnetically modulated microwave absorption, and magnetic and resistivity measurements. The results showed that T_c becomes higher with increasing annealing temperature. However, the fraction of superconducting phase decreases, due to partial evaporation of Mg ions and their deeper migration into boron substrate.
The results of investigation of the polycrystalline boron implanted by magnesium and argon plasma pulse treatment are presented. The four-probe electric conductivity measurements and magnetically modulated microwave absorption showed the presence of superconducting islands below the temperature of 25 K. Below T=23 K we detected the Kondo effect, a logarithmic increase in the resistivity as the temperature is lowered, due to iron impurity.
In this work X-ray photoelectron studies of lithium titanate and copper doped lithium titanate are presented. Both, powder and thin films samples were prepared by sol-gel method. After preparation, the samples were heated in argon atmosphere at various temperatures in a range from 500 °C to 600 °C for 20 h. The crystalline structure of the samples was investigated by X-ray diffraction, while the oxidation states of the elements were examined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy method. X-ray diffraction measurements confirmed spinel phase of all manufactured samples. However it is well known that electrical and superconducting properties of lithium titanate are strongly correlated not only with structure, but also with oxidation state of Ti ions. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy investigations revealed mixture of Ti^{3+} and Ti^{4+} ions, although the Ti^{3+}/Ti^{4+} ratio is much smaller than 1/2 needed for superconductivity. In this work dependence between calcination temperature as well as amount of Cu dopant and Ti^{3+}/Ti^{4+} proportion are reported.
Niobium is widely used in many important superconducting applications. At ambient pressure, bulk Nb has the highest critical temperature, T_c ≈ 9.25 K among the superconducting elements. Thin films of Nb show several differences in behavior in comparison with bulk Nb, e.g. substantial increase in the upper critical field (H_{C2}). Critical temperature of superconducting transition is usually lower for thin films than in bulk sample and depends on thickness of the film, size of grains etc. We prepared 100 nm thick niobium thin films in the high vacuum DC magnetron sputtering system, with T_c=8.95 K at ambient pressure. In this study, we performed measurements of superconducting transition temperature by electrical resistivity measurements of Nb thin film under hydrostatic pressure of up to 30 kbar. We observed an increase of T_c with increasing value of pressure (dT_c/dp=7.3 mK/kbar). On the other side in the case of bulk sample of Nb we observed a decrease of T_c value (dT_c/dp=-2.5 mK/kbar) with increasing applied pressure. Difference in superconducting properties between niobium bulk and thin film under pressure is discussed.
This work presents transport properties of xVN-(100-x)SiO_{2} (where x = 90, 80, 70, 60 mol%) films. The films were prepared by thermal nitridation of sol-gel derived V_{2}O_{3}-SiO_{2} (in proper molar ratio) coatings. The coatings obtained by sol-gel method are especially suitable for the ammonolysis because of their porosity. The microporous structure allows both a significant incorporation of nitrogen and its distribution through the film. The nitridation process of V_{2}O_{3}-SiO_{2} coatings leads to the formation of disordered structures, with VN metallic grains dispersed in the matrix of insulating SiO_{2}. The critical temperatures of the superconducting transition of the samples T_{conset} are about 7.5 K.
It is shown that a time-reversal invariant topological superconductivity can be realized in a quasi-one-dimensional structure, which is fabricated by filling the superconducting materials into the periodic channel of dielectric matrices like zeolite and asbestos under high pressure. The topological superconducting phase sets up in the presence of large spin-orbit interactions when s-wave intra-wire and d-wave inter-wire pairings take place. Kramers pairs of Majorana bound states emerge at the edges of each wire. The time-reversal topological superconductor belongs to DIII class of symmetry with a Z₂ invariant.
We use pulsed laser deposition to grow YBa_2Cu_3O_{7-δ} (YBCO) superconducting films for microwave applications. The films are grown on R-cut sapphire substrates, with CeO_2 buffer layers, which are re-crystallized at high temperature prior to YBCO growth. Using the atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray diffractometry we determine the optimal temperature for recrystallization (1000°C) and the optimal buffer layer thickness (30 nm). The properties of YBCO films of various thickness, grown on the optimized CeO_2 buffer layers, are studied using several methods, including AFM, magnetooptical imaging, and transport experiments. The YBCO film roughness is found to increase with the increasing film thickness, but the magnetic flux penetration in the superconducting state remains homogeneous. The superconducting parameters (the critical temperature and the critical current density) are somewhat lower than the similar parameters for YBCO films deposited on mono-crystalline substrates.
We study the homogeneously disordered MoC thin films with thicknesses of 10 and 5 nm and the superconducting transition temperatures near 6 and 4 K, significantly decreased as compared to the bulk T_{c}=8.32 K due to a disorder. The scanning tunnelling spectroscopy reveals in the thicker sample a BCS superconducting energy gap Δ with a broadening parameter Γ equal to about 10 per cent of Δ. Remarkably, Γ increases with temperature. The thinner, more disordered sample shows a gapped superconducting density of states but without any coherence peaks at the gap edge, which could not be approximated by the BCS DOS. Moreover, the reduced DOS around the Fermi level persists above the resistive transition temperature reminding the pseudo-gap known from high-T_{c} cuprates.
In recent years, two-dimensional (2D) nanostructured materials, such as nanoplates and nanosheets, have attracted much attention because of their unique electronic, magnetic, optical, and catalytic properties, which mainly arise from their large surface areas, nearly perfect crystallinity, structural anisotropy, and quantum confinement effects in the thickness. The 2D nanostructured materials can be used as building blocks for advanced materials and devices with designed functions in areas as diverse, as lasers, transistors, catalysis, solar cells, light emission diodes, chemical and biological sensors. We report physical properties of YBCO/BiOI contact structures and electrophysical properties of BiOI single crystal.
Using pulsed laser deposition we have grown films of La_{2-x}Sr_xCuO_4 with x in close vicinity of the superconductor-insulator transition, x=0.051 and x=0.048, on SrLaAlO_4 substrates, and of different thickness d (from 25 nm to 250 nm). The X-ray diffraction shows that for each d the films grow with variable degree of compressive in-plane strain, with the largest strain achieved in thinnest films. The resistivity measurements show strong enhancement of superconductivity with increasing strain, so that the onset of superconductivity at temperature as high as 27 K is observed. With increasing strain the character of resistivity changes from the insulating to metallic.
We study magnetotransport properties of the Si/Nb/Si trilayers, in which the thickness of niobium, d, changes from 1.1 nm to 50 nm, while the thickness of Si is fixed at 10 nm. The niobium films are amorphous for d < 4 nm, while in thicker films the alligned polycrystalline grains are formed. We observe that the Hall coefficient changes sign into negative in the films with d < 1.6 nm. We also find that in the ultrathin films the magnetic field induces a transition from the superconducting into a metallic phase with the resistance smaller than the normal-state resistance.
Low temperature scanning tunneling microscopy/ scanning tunneling spectroscopy, room temperature atomic force microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of the boron ions implanted into the magnesium substrate were performed in order to get information about the local superconducting behavior of thin MgB_{x} film. Results confirm the island superconductivity far from the percolation threshold of the bulk superconducting MgB_2 sample.
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