Reza Baghdadi

Transport properties of ultrathin YBa2Cu3O7-delta nanowires: A route to single-photon detection

We report on the growth and characterization of ultrathin YBa2Cu3O7-delta (YBCO) films on MgO (110) substrates, which exhibit superconducting properties at thicknesses down to 3 nm. YBCO nanowires, with thicknesses down to 10 nm and widths down to 65 nm, have also been successfully fabricated. The nanowires protected by a Au capping layer showsuperconducting properties close to the as-grown films and critical current densities, which are limited by only vortex dynamics. The 10-nm-thick YBCO nanowires without the Au capping present hysteretic current-voltage characteristics, characterized by a voltage switch which drives the nanowires directly from the superconducting to the normal state. We associate such bistability to the presence of localized normal domains within the superconductor. The presence of the voltage switch in ultrathin YBCO nanostructures, characterized by high sheet resistance values and high critical current values, makes our nanowires very attractive devices to engineer single-photon detectors.

Improved noise performance of ultrathin YBCO Dayem bridge nanoSQUIDs

We have fabricated YBa2Cu3O7-delta (YBCO) nano superconducting quantum interference devices (nanoSQUIDs), realized in Dayem bridge configuration, on films with thickness down to 10 nm. The devices, which have not been protected by a Au capping layer during the nanopatterning, show modulations of the critical current as a function of the externally applied magnetic field from 300 mK up to the critical temperature of the nanobridges. The absence of the Au shunting layer and the enhancement of the sheet resistance in ultrathin films lead to very large voltage modulations and transfer functions, which make these nanoSQUIDs highly sensitive devices. Indeed, by using bare YBCO nanostructures, we have revealed an upper limit for the intrinsic white flux noise level S-Phi,w(1/2) < 450 n Phi(0) Hz(-1/2).

Toward ultra high magnetic field sensitivity YBa2Cu3O7−δ nanowire based superconducting quantum interference devices

We report on measurements of YBa2Cu3O7- ? nanowire based Superconducting QUantum Interference Devices (nanoSQUIDs) directly coupled to an in-plane pick-up loop. The pick-up loop, which is coupled predominantly via kinetic inductance to the SQUID loop, allows for a significant increase of the effective area of our devices. Its role is systematically investigated and the increase in the effective area is successfully compared with numerical simulations. Large effective areas, together with the ultra low white flux noise below 1 ? ? 0 / Hz, make our nanoSQUIDs very attractive as magnetic field sensors.

Toward YBa2Cu3O7-δ nanoscale structures for hybrid devices

An ex situ ozone annealing has been applied both on YBa2Cu3O7-d (YBCO) films and nanowires. From the investigation on bare films, by measuring the superconducting resistive transition in temperature and the X-ray diffraction pattern, we have observed that the ozonation can be a powerful tool to oxygenate the YBCO structure. To probe the effective role of this reactive annealing on nanostructures, we have fabricated nanowires with widths down to 100 nm, covered by a 20-nm-thick Au layer. We have compared the critical current density and the broadening of the resistance transition measured before and after the ozone treatment, concluding that the ozone is instrumental in recovering very high quality superconducting properties inside the nanostructures, which were degraded by the oxygen out-diffusion occurring during the nanopatterning.An ex situ ozone annealing has been applied both on YBa2Cu3O7-δ (YBCO) films and nanowires. From the investigation on bare films, by measuring the superconducting resistive transition in temperature and the X-ray diffraction pattern, we have observed that the ozonation can be a powerful tool to oxygenate the YBCO structure. To probe the effective role of this reactive annealing on nanostructures, we have fabricated nanowires with widths down to 100 nm, covered by a 20-nm-thick Au layer. We have compared the critical current density and the broadening of the resistance transition measured before and after the ozone treatment, concluding that the ozone is instrumental in recovering very high quality superconducting properties inside the nanostructures, which were degraded by the oxygen out-diffusion occurring during the nanopatterning.

Author Correction: Induced unconventional superconductivity on the surface states of Bi 2 Te 3 topological insulator

The original version of this Article omitted the following from the Acknowledgements:“This work was partly supported by the Research Council of Norway through its Centres of Excellence funding scheme, project number 262633, QuSpin.”This has now been corrected in both the PDF and HTML versions of the article.

NbN superconducting nanonetwork fabricated using porous silicon templates and high-resolution electron beam lithography

Superconducting NbN nanonetworks with a very small number of interconnected nanowires, with diameter of the order of 4 nm, are fabricated combining a bottom-up (use of porous silicon nanotemplates) with a top-down technique (high-resolution electron beam lithography). The method is easy to control and allows to fabricate, on a robust support, devices with electrical properties close to a one-dimensional superconductor that can be fruitfully used for novel applications.Superconducting NbN nanonetworks with a very small number of interconnected nanowires, with diameter of the order of 4 nm, are fabricated combining a bottom-up (use of porous silicon nanotemplates) with a top-down technique (high-resolution electron beam lithography). The method is easy to control and allows the fabrication of devices, on a robust support, with electrical properties close to a one-dimensional superconductor that can be used fruitfully for novel applications.

Toward Nanoscale Structures for Hybrid Devices

An ex situ ozone annealing has been applied both on YBa2Cu3O7-d (YBCO) films and nanowires. From the investigation on bare films, by measuring the superconducting resistive transition in temperature and the X-ray diffraction pattern, we have observed that the ozonation can be a powerful tool to oxygenate the YBCO structure. To probe the effective role of this reactive annealing on nanostructures, we have fabricated nanowires with widths down to 100 nm, covered by a 20-nm-thick Au layer. We have compared the critical current density and the broadening of the resistance transition measured before and after the ozone treatment, concluding that the ozone is instrumental in recovering very high quality superconducting properties inside the nanostructures, which were degraded by the oxygen out-diffusion occurring during the nanopatterning.An ex situ ozone annealing has been applied both on YBa2Cu3O7-δ (YBCO) films and nanowires. From the investigation on bare films, by measuring the superconducting resistive transition in temperature and the X-ray diffraction pattern, we have observed that the ozonation can be a powerful tool to oxygenate the YBCO structure. To probe the effective role of this reactive annealing on nanostructures, we have fabricated nanowires with widths down to 100 nm, covered by a 20-nm-thick Au layer. We have compared the critical current density and the broadening of the resistance transition measured before and after the ozone treatment, concluding that the ozone is instrumental in recovering very high quality superconducting properties inside the nanostructures, which were degraded by the oxygen out-diffusion occurring during the nanopatterning.

Toward

An ex situ ozone annealing has been applied both on YBa2Cu3O7-d (YBCO) films and nanowires. From the investigation on bare films, by measuring the superconducting resistive transition in temperature and the X-ray diffraction pattern, we have observed that the ozonation can be a powerful tool to oxygenate the YBCO structure. To probe the effective role of this reactive annealing on nanostructures, we have fabricated nanowires with widths down to 100 nm, covered by a 20-nm-thick Au layer. We have compared the critical current density and the broadening of the resistance transition measured before and after the ozone treatment, concluding that the ozone is instrumental in recovering very high quality superconducting properties inside the nanostructures, which were degraded by the oxygen out-diffusion occurring during the nanopatterning.An ex situ ozone annealing has been applied both on YBa2Cu3O7-δ (YBCO) films and nanowires. From the investigation on bare films, by measuring the superconducting resistive transition in temperature and the X-ray diffraction pattern, we have observed that the ozonation can be a powerful tool to oxygenate the YBCO structure. To probe the effective role of this reactive annealing on nanostructures, we have fabricated nanowires with widths down to 100 nm, covered by a 20-nm-thick Au layer. We have compared the critical current density and the broadening of the resistance transition measured before and after the ozone treatment, concluding that the ozone is instrumental in recovering very high quality superconducting properties inside the nanostructures, which were degraded by the oxygen out-diffusion occurring during the nanopatterning.