Pulsed-laser deposition and characterization of high-temperature superconducting films

Pulsed-laser deposition (PLD) is a unique technique that has been employed for thin film growth of a broad variety of materials. In this contribution, PLD of high-temperature superconducting films of YBA2Cu3O7-(delta ), Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+(delta ) and (Hg,Re)Ba2CaCu2O6+(delta ) is reported. Emphasis is put on the optimization of deposition parameters and the growth of so-called tilted films on vicinal cut substrates. Such films offer the unique possibility to measure in-plane and out-of- plane transport properties which is especially important for materials not available as single crystals. Experiments on photodoping and on vortex string channeling are presented. The electrical properties and the microstructure of the vicinal films are investigated with respect to the tilt angle and the film thickness.