Growth and applications of superconducting and nonsuperconducting oxide epitaxial films

Abstract

Growth and characterization of high-temperature-superconducting YBa₂Cu₃O₇ and several metallic-oxide thin films by pulsed laser deposition is described here. An overview of substrates employed for epitaxial growth of perovskite-related oxides is presented. Ag-doped YBa₂Cu₃O₇ films grown on bare sapphire are shown to give T_c = 90 K, critical current >10⁶ A/cm² at 77 K and surface resistance =450μΩ. Application of epitaxial metallic LaNiO₃ thin films as an electrode for ferroelectric oxide and as a normal metal layer barrier in the superconductor-normal metal-superconductor (SNS) Josephson junction is presented. Observation of giant magnetoresistance (GMR) in the metallic La_0·6Pb_0·4MnO₃ thin films up to 50% is highlighted.