Pulsed laser ablation: A new route to synthesize novel superconducting compounds as oriented films

We report here the significance of the pulsed laser ablation technique in stabilizing strained lattices that do not form by the conventional ceramic method and show that the technique offers unique possibilities to probe the structure property relationship in complicated systems. One of such systems is LuBa2Cu3O7−δ; a systematic investigation of structural (in)stability of its superconducting phase is presented here. Our analysis suggests that the system suffers from internal strain due to lower ionic radius of Lu3+; however, the structure can be stabilized only as oriented films on 〈100〉 LaAlO3, 〈100〉 SrTiO3, and 〈100〉 MgO, with excellent superconducting properties (Jc≊5.0×106 A cm−2 at 77 K). We have also investigated similar compounds having their stability close to their crystallographic limit. The important feature of these metastable phases is that they grow only as oriented films. Free energy of epitaxial growth of strained films are investigated and a simple growth model is proposed based on our o...

[1]  K. I. Gnanasekar,et al.  Superconductivity and valence state of Tb in Lu1−xTbxBa2Cu3O7−δ (0≤x≤0.7) , 1994 .

[2]  H. Radousky.  A review of the superconducting and normal state properties of Y_1−xPr_xBa_2Cu_3O_7 , 1992 .

[3]  Ishii,et al.  Electronic properties of Ba2Y1-xPrxCu3O7- delta. , 1988, Physical review. B, Condensed matter.

[4]  Peng,et al.  Upper critical field and normal-state properties of single-phase Y1-xPrxBa2Cu3O7- gamma compounds. , 1989, Physical review. B, Condensed matter.

[5]  P. Anderson,et al.  HARD SUPERCONDUCTIVITY: THEORY OF THE MOTION OF ABRIKOSOV FLUX LINES , 1964 .

[6]  Yimei Zhu,et al.  Defects in High T_c Cuprate Superconductors , 1991 .

[7]  Su Zhen-Peng,et al.  Effects of Ag doping on the critical current density of YBa2Cu3O7−y , 1989 .

[8]  T. H. Geballe,et al.  Studies of structural disorder in ReBa2Cu3O7−x thin films (Re=rare earth) as a function of rare-earth ionic radius and film deposition conditions , 1994 .

[9]  C. Rao,et al.  Synthesis and characterization of superconducting YbBa2Cu3O7−δ and Y1−xLuxBa2Cu3O7−δ (0.0 < x < 0.75): Lower limit of the rare-earth ion radius tolerated in the 123 cuprate system , 1990 .

[10]  J. Hwang,et al.  Superconducting transitions of the (Yb,Lu,Sc)Ba2Cu3O7−y systems , 1988 .

[11]  A. Kleinsasser,et al.  Measurement of anisotropic resistivity and Hall constant for single-crystal YBa2Cu3O7-x. , 1987, Physical review letters.

[12]  L. C. Gupta,et al.  Large critical currents and improved epitaxy of laser ablated Ag-doped YBa2Cu3O7-δ thin films , 1993 .

[13]  D. Gerstenberg,et al.  Physics of Thin Films , 1964 .

[14]  A. Szytuła,et al.  Investigation of the praseodymium role in superconductivity of (Eu1−xPrx)Ba2Cu3O7−δ and related compounds , 1990 .

[15]  Jee,et al.  Magnetic ordering and superconductivity in Y1-xPrxBa2Cu3O7-y. , 1989, Physical review. B, Condensed matter.

[16]  A. Paulikas,et al.  Structural refinement of Y2BaCuO5 using neutron powder diffraction , 1990 .

[17]  Philip W. Anderson,et al.  Theory of Flux Creep in Hard Superconductors , 1962 .

[18]  M. G. Norton,et al.  Surface outgrowths on laser-deposited YBa2Cu3O7 thin films , 1994 .

[19]  E. Early,et al.  Superconducting and normal state properties of Y1−xMxBa2Cu3O7−δ (M=Pr, Na) , 1988 .

[20]  H. Müller-Buschbaum,et al.  BaNiYb2O5 – eine Verbindung, die nicht im BaNiLn2O5‐Typ kristallisiert Mit einem Beitrag über BaCuSm2O5 , 1986 .

[21]  P. Lightfoot,et al.  Structural refinements of Yb2BaCuO5 and Lu2BaCuO5 by powder neutron diffraction , 1990 .

[22]  J. Lemerle,et al.  Transition Metal Oxide Gels and Colloids , 1982 .

[23]  P. Gennes.  Boundary Effects in Superconductors , 1964 .

[24]  J. C. Ho,et al.  Superconductivity in the (Dy1−xPrx) Ba2Cu2Oy system , 1991 .

[25]  G. Rao,et al.  SUPERCONDUCTIVITY STUDIES ON (Ln1−xLux)Ba2Cu3O7, Ln=La, Sm , 1989 .

[26]  C. Paracchini.  Electrical transport properties of YBa2Cu3Ox films , 1990 .

[27]  D. Bäuerle.  Chemical processing with lasers , 1986 .

[28]  Ru‐Shi Liu,et al.  Homogeneous coprecipitation as a means toward high-Tc and sharp-transition yttrium barium cuprate (YBa2Cu3O7-x) superconducting oxides , 1989 .

[29]  Ross E. Muenchausen,et al.  Pulsed Laser Deposition: Future Directions , 1992 .

[30]  L. C. Gupta,et al.  Transport properties of Sb2O3 doped laser ablated YBa2Cu3O7−δ , 1994 .

[31]  T. Armbruster,et al.  Layer topology, stacking variation, and site distortion in melilite-related compounds in the system CaO-ZnO-GeO 2 -SiO 2 , 1990 .

[32]  C. F. Hempstead,et al.  RESISTIVE STATES OF HARD SUPERCONDUCTORS , 1964 .

[33]  Hsien‐Hau Wang,et al.  High-Tc superconductors: selective preparation and characterization of tetragonal and orthorhombic (93 K superconductor) phases of yttrium barium copper oxide (YBa2Cu3O7-x) , 1987 .

[34]  J. Rodríguez-Carvajal,et al.  Structural characterization of R2BaCuO5 (R = Y, Lu, Yb, Tm, Er, Ho, Dy, Gd, Eu and Sm) oxides by X-ray and neutron diffraction , 1992 .

[35]  M. Maple,et al.  On narrowing of the resistive superconducting transition in applied magnetic fields and positive curvature in Hc2(T) in the (Gd1-xPrx)Ba2Cu3O7-δ system , 1990 .

[36]  Ku,et al.  Superconductivity near 90 K in the Lu-Ba-Cu-O system. , 1987, Physical review letters.

[37]  S. Xie,et al.  The superconductive properties and crystal structure of Ba2(Y1−xPrx)Cu3O9−y solid solutions , 1987 .

[38]  R. B. Poeppel,et al.  Comparison of Carbonate, Citrate, and Oxalate Chemical Routes to the High-Tc Metal Oxide Superconductors La2-xSrxCuO4 , 1987 .

[39]  J. Clarke.  Finite-voltage behavior of lead/copper/lead junctions , 1971 .

[40]  Budai,et al.  Superconductivity and hole doping in Pr0.5Ca0.5Ba2Cu3O7- delta thin films. , 1991, Physical review letters.

[41]  Dieter Bäuerle,et al.  Laser-induced formation and surface processing of High-Temperature superconductors , 1989 .

[42]  G. Goodman,et al.  The oxidation state of Pr in PrBa2Cu3O7 , 1989 .

[43]  Lynn,et al.  Magnetic order of Pr in PrBa2Cu3O7. , 1989, Physical review. B, Condensed matter.

[44]  Malozemoff,et al.  Giant flux creep and irreversibility in an Y-Ba-Cu-O crystal: An alternative to the superconducting-glass model. , 1988, Physical review letters.

[45]  Torrance Jb,et al.  Role of the Madelung energy in hole conductivity in copper oxides: Difference between semiconductors and high-Tc superconductors. , 1989 .

[46]  Maple,et al.  Evidence against hole filling by Pr in YBa2Cu3O7. , 1990, Physical review. B, Condensed matter.

[47]  I. D. Brown,et al.  Bond‐valence parameters obtained from a systematic analysis of the Inorganic Crystal Structure Database , 1985 .

[48]  Ross E. Muenchausen,et al.  Origin of surface roughness for c-axis oriented Y-Ba-Cu-O superconducting films , 1990 .

[49]  X. Wu,et al.  Island structure and growth of pulsed laser deposited YBa2Cu3O7−x superconducting thin films , 1992 .

[50]  Schuller,et al.  Hole filling and pair breaking by Pr ions in YBa2Cu3O6.95+/-0.02. , 1989, Physical review letters.

[51]  Graham K. Hubler,et al.  Pulsed Laser Deposition , 1992 .

[52]  Yun-hui Xu,et al.  Ion size effect of Tc in (R1−xPrx)Ba2Cu3O7−y systems (R = Er, Y, Dy, Gd and Eu) , 1991 .

[53]  D. Bauerle,et al.  In situ fabrication of superconducting Lu-Ba-Sr-Cu-O films by pulsed-laser deposition , 1992 .

[54]  McGuire,et al.  Critical currents in , 1988, Physical review letters.

[55]  R. D. Shannon.  Revised effective ionic radii and systematic studies of interatomic distances in halides and chalcogenides , 1976 .

[56]  E. Hodorowicz,et al.  The Yb2O3 and Lu2O3BaO(BaCO3)CuO systems: compounds and phase compatibilities in air at 940–980 °C , 1992 .

[57]  T. Tiefel,et al.  Critical current behavior in the Sb2O3‐doped YBa2Cu3O7−δ superconductor , 1992 .

[58]  D. Clarke,et al.  PHASE COMPATIBILITIES IN THE SYSTEM Y2O3- BaO - CuO , 1987 .

[59]  Chu,et al.  Superconductivity above 90 K in the square-planar compound system ABa2Cu3O6+x with A=Y, La, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Ho, Er and Lu. , 1987, Physical review letters.

[60]  J. Ketterson,et al.  950°C SUBSOLIDUS PHASE DIAGRAM FOR Y2O3-BaO-CuO SYSTEM IN AIR , 1987 .

[61]  J. C. Ho,et al.  Pr-substitution effect on superconducting transition temperature of YbBa2Cu3O7-δ , 1992 .

[62]  L. Soderholm.  Curium (Z 96) as a probe for studying high Tc superconductivity , 1992 .

[63]  S. Malik,et al.  Magnetic ordering and superconductivity in the Nd1−xPrxBa2Cu3O7−y system , 1993 .

[64]  R. Kruk,et al.  Superconductivity in the (Gd1−xPrx)Ba2Cu3O7−δ system , 1991 .