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Notes: Josephson junctions and dc superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) have been fabricated in ex situ epitaxial Tl2Ba2CaCu2O8 films on bicrystal LaAlO3 substrates with symmetric 32° [001] tilt grain boundaries. The critical temperature Tc, of the junctions was in the range 105–107 K and the critical current densities at 77 K varied between 3×102 and 3×104 A/cm2, two or three orders of magnitude less than those of the film. The I–V curves are described by a resistively shunted junction model. Close to Tc, the temperature dependence of the critical current was described by (1−T/Tc)2. The flux noise spectra SΦ(f) of dc SQUIDs were measured in the locked-loop regime with constant current bias at temperatures up to 94 K. The white noise level was 50μΦ0/(square root of)Hz at 77 K. The crossover frequency to 1/f noise was low, about 5 Hz, and the flux noise level at 1 Hz was 440μΦ0/(square root of)Hz. © 1996 American Institute of Physics.

Notes: Sharp and straight step edges on (001) LaAlO3 (LAO) substrates were ion milled by using an electron beam defined amorphous carbon thin film mask. YBa2Cu3O7 (YBCO) thin films patterned to narrow strips across the step edges gave high quality Josephson junctions. Their current–voltage (I–V) curves could be well described by the resistively shunted junction model with or without excess current. By varying the YBCO film thickness over a fixed step height, the critical current density (jc) of the junction could be changed by several orders of magnitude. For junctions with high jc, typical IcRn (product of critical current and normal resistance) values of around 100 μV at 77 K and more than 1 mV at 4.2 K were obtained. Some excess current was observed. For junctions with low jc, the dependence of Ic on an applied magnetic field was strong even at low temperatures. The Ic showed a main peak in the center and well-defined periods as a function of applied magnetic field. The minimum Ic value suppressed by the magnetic field was about 20% of its maximum value at 4.2 K. Junctions with low jc usually showed hysteretic I–V curves at low temperatures. The McCumber constant βc fell in the range of 0.8–2. Fiske and flux-flow resonances were observed for some junctions. The shunting capacitances of the junctions were estimated from the McCumber constant βc, Fiske resonances, and flux-flow resonances. A shunting capacitance value per unit area of 12–35 fF/μm2 was obtained. High resolution cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy was used to study YBCO films grown across straight and wavy step edges. Two 90° tilt boundaries were formed at the edge of a step. The top and bottom YBCO films had their c axis oriented normal to the (001) plane of LAO. In the edge region, the c axis of the YBCO film was tilted by 90°, the a axis was normal to the (001) plane of LAO, and the b axis was lying along the step edge. For wavy step edges, second phase particles usually appeared in the YBCO film along the step edge region. Defects were found on the surface of the LAO substrate along the wavy step edge region. These defects might act as nucleation centers for the second phase particles in the YBCO film. © 1996 American Institute of Physics.

Notes: Tunneling experiments were done on YBa2Cu3O7 step-edge junctions. The temperature dependence of the superconducting gap parameter, Δ(T), was measured. From the peak-to-peak distance in the conductance curve, Δ was estimated to vary from 24 to 32 meV at 4.2 K. The conductance at high-voltage bias does not increase with increasing voltage. The tunneling results, together with the well-behaved magnetic field dependence of the critical Josephson current, hysteresis, and Fiske-type resonances in current-voltage curves, indicate a dielectric behavior of the grain boundary junction, i.e., a tunnel junction. © 1996 American Institute of Physics.

Notes: Abstract We report on a successful attempt to fabricate a Coulomb blockade electrometer consisting of an ultrasmall YBa2Cu3O7−δ (YBCO) island coupled to two gold electrodes through a high-resistance native surface tunnel barrier. A third electrode placed near the island was used as an electrostatic gate. Spectra typical for tunneling into the YBCO superconductor were reproducibly measured. At temperatures below 0.5 K the low-bias conductance was suppressed by the Coulomb blockade. The blockade could be periodically varied by the gate potential. An external magnetic field of up to 5 T strongly influenced the transport via the island but without any change in the period of the Coulomb oscillations.

Notes: Abstract Superconducting epitaxial Tl2Ba2CaCu2O8 (Tl-2212) and Tl2Ba2CuO6, (Tl-2201) thin films are synthesised on single crystal and bicrystal LaAlO3 substrates by an ex-situ process. Tl-2212 films were optically smooth, with Tc′s from 105 to 108K and ΔTc 〈2K, Jc reaching 2·106A/cm2 at 77K. Tl-2201 films exhibited tetragonal or orthorhombic symmetry depending on the thallium content. The Tc of the as-synthesised Tl-2201 films was in the range 40–55K. By oxygen depletion, Tc was increased by 15 – 20 K. Properties of weak links in Tl-2212 and Tl-2201 thin films are reported.