Investigation of the Anisotropy of Y-Ba-Cu-O Thin Films with Photoemission Electron Microscopy

Understanding the anisotropy in the electrical properties of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-\delta (YBCO) is important for understanding the fundamental mechanism of superconductivity in unconventional superconductors. Additionally it is also essential for achieving uniform and controllable critical currents and re...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:IEEE transactions on applied superconductivity 2024-12, p.1-5
Main Authors: Qu, Rochelle Y., Boehm, Alex M., LeFebvre, Jay C., Vattipalli, Sreekar, Parachikunnumal, Adhilsha, Kim, Andrew, Titze, Michael T., Belianinov, Alex A., Bielejec, Edward S., Ohta, Taisuke, Cybart, Shane A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anisotropic magnetoresistance
anisotropy
Conductivity
Electrons
FHIB
focused helium ion beam
Helium
Ions
Josephson junctions
PEEM
Radiation effects
Superconductivity
superconductor
Temperature measurement
YBCO
Yttrium barium copper oxide
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Summary:Understanding the anisotropy in the electrical properties of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-\delta (YBCO) is important for understanding the fundamental mechanism of superconductivity in unconventional superconductors. Additionally it is also essential for achieving uniform and controllable critical currents and resistances in YBCO Josephson junctions. This study correlates work function measurements of different intrinsic regions on YBCO thin films, obtained through PhotoEmission Electron Microscopy (PEEM), with in plane tunneling data and helium ion imaging. YBCO thin films, 40 nm in thickness, were selectively irradiated with 300 keV helium using a Pelletron to investigate the effects of irradiation compared to unirradiated regions. Post-irradiation PEEM images revealed distinct contrasts between irradiated and non-irradiated regions, suggesting a metal-to-insulator transition. In non-irradiated areas, a domain pattern was detected, showing a 25 meV difference in work function, attributed to CuO and BaO rich surface regions. A similar domain structure was observed using high-resolution helium ion imaging; however, the helium ion beam can damage the YBCO, making PEEM a valuable non-destructive alternative. This work highlights the correlation between PEEM measurements and in-plane tunneling properties of YBCO, providing insights into material orientation and its impact on Josephson junction performance. Furthermore, it offers a non-destructive approach to understanding the anisotropy of cuprate materials, its superconducting properties, and the factors affecting Josephson junction performance.
ISSN:1051-8223
DOI:10.1109/TASC.2024.3512532