Wire network behavior in superconducting Nb films with diluted triangular arrays of holes

We present results of transport measurements on superconducting Nb films with diluted triangular arrays (honeycomb and kagomé) of holes. The patterned films have large disk-shaped interstitial regions even when the edge-to-edge separations between nearest neighboring holes are comparable to the coherence length. Changes in the field interval of two consecutive minima in the field dependent resistance R(H) curves are observed. In the low field region, fine structures in the R(H) and T(c)(H) curves are identified in both arrays. Comparison of experimental data with calculation results reveals that these structures observed in honeycomb and kagomé hole arrays resemble those in wire networks with triangular and T(3) symmetries, respectively. The findings suggest that even in these specified periodic hole arrays with very large interstitial regions, the low field fine structures are determined by the connectivity of the nanostructures.     

Electron localization and superconductivity in very thin epitaxially grown Ag films on Ge (001)

Transport properties of very thin (2.5 monolayer) films of Ag epitaxially grown on clean Ge (001) substrates are reported. The films consist of a monolayer coverage plus isolated three dimensional islands. Below ～70°K the conductivity is dominated by the metal film and displays the temperature and electric and magnetic field dependences characteristic of metallic weak localization in two dimensions. Below ～2°K the resistance drops rapidly in a manner resembling an incomplete superconducting transition. The resistance is restored by application of a magnetic field of ～20 KGauss at 0.6°K.     

Correlation length of quasiperiodic vortex lattices

We investigated vortex-lattice dynamics in superconducting Nb thin films with different quasiperiodic arrays of magnetic pinning centers. The mixed-state magnetoresistance exhibits minima for well-defined applied fields, related to matching effects between the vortex lattice and those arrays. The results show that critical matching can originate at a local scale. For fractal arrays, the vortex-lattice correlation length is longer and the minima are deeper, close to those of periodic arrays.     

Substrate-induced stress in silicon nanocrystal/SiO2 multilayer structures

Magnetoresistance in superconducting Nb films perforated with rectangular arrays of antidots (holes) is investigated at various temperatures and currents. Normally, the magnetoresistance increases with the increasing magnetic field. In this paper, we report a reverse behavior in a certain range of high fields after vortex reconfiguration transition, where the resistances at non-matching fields are smaller than those in the low field regime. This phenomenon is due to a strong caging effect, in which the interstitial vortices are trapped among the pinned multiquanta vortices. This effect is temperature and current dependent.     

Abnormal magnetoresistance behavior in Nb thin film with rectangular arrays of antidots

Magnetoresistance in superconducting Nb films perforated with rectangular arrays of antidots (holes) is investigated at various temperatures and currents. Normally, the magnetoresistance increases with the increasing magnetic field. In this paper, we report a reverse behavior in a certain range of high fields after vortex reconfiguration transition, where the resistances at non-matching fields are smaller than those in the low field regime. This phenomenon is due to a strong caging effect, in which the interstitial vortices are trapped among the pinned multiquanta vortices. This effect is temperature and current dependent.     

Josephson Currents and Gap Enhancement in Graph Arrays of Superconductive Islands

Evidence is reported that topological effects in graph-shaped arrays of superconducting islands can condition superconducting energy gap and transition temperature. The carriers giving rise to the new phase are couples of electrons (Cooper pairs) which, in the superconducting state, behave as predicted for bosons in our structures. The presented results have been obtained both on star and double comb-shaped arrays and the coupling between the islands is provided by Josephson junctions whose potential can be tuned by external magnetic field or temperature. Our peculiar technique for probing distribution on the islands is such that the hopping of bosons between the different islands occurs because their thermal energy is of the same order of the Josephson coupling energy between the islands. Both for star and double comb graph topologies the results are in qualitative and quantitative agreement with theoretical predictions.     

Matching effect in superconducting NbN thin film with a square lattice of holes

A square hole array is fabricated over a micro-bridge of NbN thin film by electron beam lithography and reactive ion milling. Magneto-resistance is measured across the micro-bridge filled with a hole array near the superconducting transition temperature. It is found that magneto-resistance minima occur when the number of vortices is an integer multiple or a fractional multiple of the number of holes. The temperature and the current dependences of the matching effect are studied.     

Disorder and quantum fluctuations in superconducting films in strong magnetic fields

We find that the upper critical field in a two-dimensional disordered superconductor can increase essentially at low temperatures. This happens due to the formation of local superconducting islands weakly coupled via the Josephson effect. The distribution of the superconducting islands is derived. It is shown that the value of the critical field is determined by the interplay of the proximity effect and quantum phase fluctuations. The shift of the upper critical field is connected with the pinning properties of a superconductor.     

Ginzberg-Landau理论对超导薄膜的适用性

本文指出虽然三十年来Ginzberg-Landau理论(以下简称G-理论)被人们广泛地用于描述超导薄膜的临界场,而且它还是描述强耦合超导薄膜临界场的唯一理论,但G-L关于薄膜临界场的理论不仅一直未得到实验证明,而且它既不能用于描述结晶态的弱耦合超导薄膜的临界场,也不适用于描述强耦合超导薄膜的临界场。本文还提出了一个在薄膜极限下定域的新判据:ξ<<λ,ξ<关键词：     

Tl_2Ba_2CaCu_2O_(8+δ)薄膜在超导凝聚过程中低频区的电磁响应

研究了Tl2Ba2CaCu2O8+δ/LaAlO3单晶薄膜的ab平面内电子在超导凝聚过程中的行为,薄膜厚度为3000,转变温度Tc=96K。在凝聚过程中,阻抗谱z(ω,T0)变化剧烈。谱线随温度的变化规律与浅超导区直流压制下的阻抗谱极为相似。随着超导凝聚的加强,谱重从高频区进一步向低频区转移并且导致直流极限下的发散。通过分析,得出超导相变对应了"超流电子岛"从出现到扩大并最终连成"整片超导大陆"这样的过程。我们还测试了薄膜载流下的阻抗谱z(ω,B0),观测到临界电流密度随着超导凝聚的进行而增大。     

RF sputtered thin films of highT cY-Ba-Cu-O

Y-Ba-Cu-O films are grown on strontium titanate substrates by RF sputtering from a single composite target. A barium-deficient annular ring with diameter equal to that of the target dimension is repeatedly observed. Films inside this ring are deposited exclusively at the close target-substrate distance. At larger distances the films grow more in exterior regions rather than in the interior region of the ring. Stoichiometry, structural morphology and superconducting transition temperatures are studied for various regions of the film. The films are superconducting when sintered in flowing oxygen at 950°C with onset at 100 K and a broad transition width.     

Determination of transition curves of high-Tc superconductors by phase contrast microscopy

A new method which allows the detection of the superconducting phase transition of high-T_c superconductors (HTSC) on a microscopic scale is reported. Micro-size holes in thin foils of superconducting material are examined in a transmission electron microscope at varying temperatures. The superconducting transition induces small changes in the image intensity within the holes, which can be detected by using electronic image analysis. Superconducting transition curves are then obtained for various types of high-T_c superconductors and for given values of the applied magnetic field.     

On the possibility of increasing the superconducting gaps in heterogeneous superconductors

A model of the pair scattering of electrons by heterogeneity islands inside a superconducting matrix is presented; states with charge-density waves appear on them. The assumption that such a model can be used in the case of thin heterogeneous films and superconductor boundaries is made.     

The role of microstructure and surface energy in hole growth and island formation in thin silver films

Following surface hillock growth in the early stages of annealing silver films in oxygen atmospheres, holes begin to grow in the remaining film. The kinetics of hole growth at different temperatures have been recorded and a quantitative theory is presented which accounts for these results in terms of surface energy driven surface self-diffusion. The factors governing the catchment area from which the final islands draw material are investigated; the network of residual holes in the evaporated film is shown to have a governing effect in delimiting these catchment areas.     

A new model analysis of the third harmonic voltage in inductive measurement for critical current density of superconducting films

The critical current density J c is one of the most important parameters of high temperature superconducting films in superconducting applications,such as superconducting filter and superconducting Josephson devices.This paper presents a new model to describe inhomogeneous current distribution throughout the thickness of superconducting films applying magnetic field by solving the differential equation derived from Maxwell equation and the second London equation.Using this model,it accurately calculates the inductive third-harmonic voltage when the film applying magnetic field with the inductive measurement for J c.The theoretic curve is consistent with the experimental results about measuring superconducting film,especially when the third-harmonic voltage just exceeds zero.The J c value of superconducting films determined by the inductive method is also compared with results measured by four-probe transport method.The agreements between inductive method and transport method are very good.     

Electronic properties and interfacial coupling in Pb islands on single-crystalline graphene

Introducing metal thin films on two-dimensional (2D) material may present a system to possess exotic properties due to reduced dimensionality and interfacial effects. We deposit Pb islands on single-crystalline graphene on a Ge(110) substrate and studied the nano- and atomic-scale structures and low-energy electronic excitations with scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy (STM/STS). Robust quantum well states (QWSs) are observed in Pb(111) islands and their oscillation with film thickness reveals the isolation of free electrons in Pb from the graphene substrate. The spectroscopic characteristics of QWSs are consistent with the band structure of a free-standing Pb(111) film. The weak interface coupling is further evidenced by the absence of superconductivity in graphene in close proximity to the superconducting Pb islands. Accordingly, the Pb(111) islands on graphene/Ge(110) are free-standing in nature, showing very weak electronic coupling to the substrate.     

Novel commensurability effects in superconducting films with antidot arrays

Vortex configurations in superconducting films with regular arrays of antidots (holes) are calculated within the nonlinear Ginzburg-Landau theory. In addition to the well-established matching phenomena, we predict (i) the nucleation of giant-vortex states between the antidots, (ii) the combination of giant- and multivortices at rational matching fields, and (iii) for particular values of the vorticity, symmetry imposed creation of vortex-antivortex configurations.     

Possible types of the evolution of vacuum shells around the de Sitter space

All possible evolution scenarios of a thin vacuum shell surrounding the spherically symmetric de Sitter space have been determined and the corresponding global geometries have been constructed. Such configurations can appear at the final stage of the cosmological phase transition, when isolated regions (islands) of the old vacuum remain. The islands of the old vacuum are absorbed by the new vacuum, expand unlimitedly, or form black holes and wormholes depending on the sizes of the islands as well as on the density and velocity of the shells surrounding the islands.     

Superconducting fluctuations in a magnetic field

The rounding of the transition curve is measured for superconducting bismuth films in a perpendicular magnetic field. The contribution of the fluctuating superconducting wave function to the conductivity aboveT _c in an applied magnetic field is calculated with a simple model. The allowed states of the fluctuations are cylinders in momentum space. During their life time the fluctuating superconducting electrons can be accelerated by an electrical field and contribute to the conductivity. Experiment and theory are in fair agreement. We obtain some information about the Pauli spin paramagnetism of the electrons.     

Smectic islands in antiferroelectric nanofilms

Heterochiral islands, in which topological dipoles are oppositely directed, are observed in freestanding antiferroelectric (SmC _A ^*) films. The topological dipoles in films with a transverse electric polarization and a planar molecule orientation at island boundaries are coplanar with an electric field. The topological dipoles in films with a longitudinal polarization and a planar orientation at island boundaries are perpendicular to an electric field. For a radial director orientation at island boundaries, the topological dipoles in films with a longitudinal polarization are coplanar with a field. Changing the orientation of an electric field, we can control the position of a topological defect at an island boundary and the orientation of a topological dipole. Heterochiral islands can form dimers with an anomalously small interisland distance.