Spin-polarized quasiparticle injection effects in YBCO thin films

We report detailed transport studies on ferromagnet-superconductor heterostructures. Epitaxial heterostructures of half-metal colossal magnetoresistive La_2/3Ca_1/3MnO₃ (HM-CMR) and high T_c superconducting YBa₂Cu₃O₇ (YBCO) are grown on SrTiO₃ (100) single crystal substrates by pulsed laser deposition. Using the HM-CMR layer as source for spin-polarized quasiparticles, we show the effect of injection of spin-polarized quasiparticles into the ab-plane and along the c-axis of YBCO. The results show a drop in the ab-plane resistance R_ab (T) in the case of injection along the c-axis that is discussed to be related to the opening of a pseudogap.     

Hall effect in a GdBa2Cu3O7−δ/La0.75Sr0.25MnO3 perovskite bilayer

We present results on the Hall coefficient R_H in the normal state for a GdBa₂Cu₃O_7−δ/La_0.75Sr_0.25MnO₃ bilayer and a La_0.75Sr_0.25MnO₃ film grown by dc magnetron sputtering on (1 0 0) SrTiO₃. We find that the electric transport on the bilayer can be qualitatively described using a simple parallel layers model. The GdBa₂Cu₃O_7−δ layer presents a carrier density approximately equal to that reported for 7 − δ = 6.85 oxygen doping. Also we observe an unexpected presence of two Hall resistivity regimes, effects that may be associated with the internal magnetic field induced on the superconducting layer by the ferromagnetic layer.     

Superconducting Transition Temperature and Metal--Semiconductor Transition Temperature in YBa2Cu4O8/La0.67Ca0.33MnO3/YBa2Cu4O8 Trilayer Films

YBa₂Cu₄O₈/La_0.67Ca_0.33MnO₃/YBa₂Cu₄O₈(YBCO/LCMO/YBCO) trilayer films were prepared by magnetron facing-target sputtering. For the first time, the oscillatory behaviour of superconducting transition temperature T_c,ON with the thickness of LCMO (d_L) has been observed. The strongest nonmonotonic information in the T_c,ON--d_L curves appears clearly when d_L is larger than the critical thickness d_L^CR. The metal--semiconductor transition temperature can only be detected at d_L>d_L^CR. The dependence on the ferromagnetic spacer layer in YBCO/LCMO/YBCO systems suggests strongly the interplay of ferromagnetic and superconducting couplings.     

The magnetic properties of Be-codoped GaMnN grown via molecular beam epitaxy

GaMnN and Be-codoped GaMnN were grown via molecular beam epitaxy using a single GaN precursor and their structural and magnetic properties were examined. X-ray diffraction and superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) measurements revealed that the grown layers are homogeneous without precipitates. The saturation magnetization of GaMnN has increased from ∼4 to ∼16 emu/cm³ via codoping of Be. The d–d exchange interaction between Mn atoms was discussed for the ferromagnetism of GaMnN.     

Spin glass-like behavior,giant magnetocaloric and giant magnetoresistance effect in PrPb manganites

The Pr_1−xPb_xMnO₃ (x=0.1–0.5) perovskites have been fabricated by solid-state reaction. The X-ray diffraction patterns show that the samples are of single phase with orthorhombic structure. The field-cooled (FC) and zero-field-cooled (ZFC) thermomagnetic curves measured at low field and low temperatures exhibit the spin glass-like state. The Curie temperature of samples increased with increase in Pb content. The maximum magnetic entropy change |ΔS_m|_max reaches the giant values of 3.91 and 3.68 J/kg K for quite low magnetic field change of 1.35 T for the samples x=0.1 and 0.4, respectively. The resistance measurements show that there is insulator–metal phase transition on the R(T) curves for samples with x?0.3. The giant magnetoresistance effect is also observed for all samples studied.     

Observation of triangle pits in PbSe grown by molecular beam epitaxy

PbSe thin films on BaF₂ (1 1 1) were grown by molecular beam epitaxy with different selenium beam flux. Evolution of PbSe surface morphologies with Se/PbSe beam flux ratio (R_f) has been studied by atomic force microscopy and high-resolution X-ray diffraction. Growth spirals with monolayer steps on PbSe surface are obtained using high beam flux ratio, R_f ≥ 0.6. As R_f decreases to 0.3, nano-scale triangle pits are formed on the surface and the surface of PbSe film changes to 3D islands when R_f = 0. Glide of threading dislocations in 〈1 1 0〉{1 0 0}-glide system and Pb-rich atom agglomerations are the formation mechanism of spiral steps and triangle pits. The nano-scale triangle pits formed on PbSe surface may render potential applications in nano technology.     

Coevaporation phosphorus doping in Si grown by molecular beam epitaxy

Phosphorus-doped Si epilayers with bulk-like mobilities were grown by molecular beam epitaxy (Si-MBE) by coevaporation of phosphorus from a tin phosphide source. The behaviour of P doping as a function of growth parameters and of potential enhanced doping indicates a non-unity, almost growth-temperature independent incorporation efficiency with negligible surface segregation -a unique combination among coevaporated dopants in Si-MBE.     

Magnetoresistance and interlayer exchange coupling in perovskite manganite junctions

We study magnetoresistance (MR) and interlayer exchange coupling (IEC) in perovskite manganite junctions. We show that in La_2/3Sr_1/3MnO₃/SrTiO₃/La_2/3Sr_1/3MnO₃ tunneling junctions, the MR ratio remains finite up to high temperatures near T_C of bulk manganites. In the case of La_2/3Ba_1/3MnO₃/LaNiO₃/La_2/3Ba_1/3MnO₃ metallic trilayers, we predict that the oscillation period of the IEC constant is dramatically changed by hole doping into the LaNiO₃ spacer, while the MR ratio is relatively unaffected.     

Electrical and optical properties of ZnO films grown by molecular beam epitaxy

Zinc oxide (ZnO) films have been grown on sapphire by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), and it is found that the grain size of the ZnO films increased with increasing the growth temperature. Photoluminescence (PL) study shows that the intensity ratio of near-band-edge emission to deep-level-related emission (NBE/DL) of the ZnO is significantly enhanced with increasing the growth temperature, and the dependence of the carrier mobility on the growth temperature shows very similar trend, which implies that there is a community factor that determines the optical and electrical properties of ZnO, and this factor is suggested to be the grain boundary. The results obtained in this paper reveal that by reducing the grain boundaries, ZnO films with high optical and electrical properties may be acquired.     

FMR fine structure – A tool to investigate the spatial magnetic phase separation phenomena in manganites

An original approach is proposed to study the magnetic phase separation phenomenon. It is based on the registration of the noise‐like FMR Fine Structure (FMR FS) caused by the magnetic interparticle dipole–dipole interaction between spatially separated ferromagnetic regions. Data obtained for a La_0.7Pb_0.3MnO₃ single crystal point to the existence of spatially separated ferromagnetic regions. It is shown that FMR FS of the La_0.7Pb_0.3MnO₃ single crystal is temperature reversible and disappears at the maximum of magnetoresistance.

     

Raman study of the segregation of GaAs/AlAs heterostructures grown by molecular beam epitaxy

The Raman spectra of the optical confined phonons in the GaAs/AlAs ultra-thin layer superlattices grown with different growth conditions were used to determine the compositional profiles and to study the process of segregation at the heterointerfaces. A modified kinetic model was developed in order to calculate the compositional profiles in the samples under investigation. The comparison between the experimentally obtained compositional profiles and those calculated by the kinetic model allowed us to determine the parameters characterizing the segregation. It was shown that the increase of pressure of As acts equivalently to the decrease of the growth temperature, resulting in a more abrupt compositional profile.     

Local structure and magnetic properties of Mn substituted manganites studied by EXAFS and Dc magnetic measurements

We report extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) measurements at the Mn K edge and magnetic measurements performed on (La_1−xCa_x)(Mn_1−yM_y)O₃ samples (M=Cr or Ni; x=0.37 and 0.75 and y=0.03 or 0.08). The Mn substitution produces important effects on both the sides of the LaMnO₃-CaMnO₃ phase diagram. For x<0.5 the ferromagnetic-metallic phase maintains its main character even after Mn substitution, but both the doping species (Ni or Cr) lower T_C and broaden the magnetic transition, and the EXAFS study evidences two Mn-O distances, suggesting the presence of zones of distorted insulating phase. For x>0.5, after the doping with Cr, the charge ordered phase persists but on a shorter scale, whereas the Jahn-Teller distortion is weakened as indicated by EXAFS measurements, and the formation of ferromagnetic clusters is evidenced by magnetic measurements.EXAFS and magnetic measurements are in mutual agreement, thus confirming the correlation between the local disorder determined by charge localization and magnetic degrees of freedom.     

Activation energy in La0.7Ca0.3MnO3/YBa2Cu3O7-δ / La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 superconducting trilayers

Resistivity vs. temperature measurements on La_0.7Ca_0.3MnO₃/YBa₂Cu₃O_7-δ /La_0.7Ca_0.3MnO₃ (LCMO/YBCO/LCMO) trilayers with different YBCO thickness, were performed in external magnetic field H up to 8 T. By evaluating the activation energy U from the slope of the resistivity Arrhenius plot, a strong depression of U has been observed when decreasing the YBCO layer thickness and the absolute U values appear to be reduced with respect to the values reported in literature in the case of YBCO thin films and YBCO/insulating multilayers. Moreover, a logarithmic U vs. H dependence is shown both in the case of thick and thin YBCO layers indicating the formation of a two dimensional vortex lattice. The experimental data are discussed considering the strong influence of the ferromagnetic LCMO on the superconducting YBCO properties which reduces the effective YBCO thickness more than predicted by the conventional theories.     

Electron transport in high quality undoped ZnO film grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy

High quality ZnO films were grown on c-plane sapphire substrate using low temperature ZnO buffer layer by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. The film deposited at 720 °C showed the lowest value of full-width at half maximum for the symmetric (0002) diffraction peak of about 86 arcsec. The highest electron mobility in the films was about 103-105 cm²/V s. From temperature-dependent Hall effect measurements, the mobility strongly depends on the dislocation density at low temperature region and the polar optical phonon scattering at high temperature, respectively. Moreover, by obtaining the activation energy of the shallow donors, it was supposed that hydrogen was source of n-type conductivity in as-grown ZnO films.     

Superconducting molybdenum nitride epitaxial thin films deposited on MgO and α-Al2O3 substrates by molecular beam epitaxy

Molybdenum nitride Mo₂N_x films were grown on MgO(0 0 1) and on α-Al₂O₃(0 0 1) substrates by molecular beam epitaxy under nitrogen radical irradiation. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed that the composition of the film varied in the range of Mo₂N_1.4-Mo₂N_2.8 depending on the growth temperature. The deposition at 973 K gave well-crystallized films on both substrates. The high-resolution reciprocal space mapping by X-ray diffraction showed that the nitrogen-rich γ-Mo₂N crystalline phase (the composition: Mo₂N_1.4) was epitaxially grown on MgO at 923 K with a slight tetragonal distortion (a = 0.421 and c = 0.418 nm) to fit the MgO lattice (a = 0.421 nm). On α-Al₂O₃(0 0 1), nitrogen-rich γ-Mo₂N (Mo₂N_1.8) was grown at 973 K with (1 1 1) planes parallel to the substrate surface. X-ray diffraction analysis with a multi-axes diffractometer revealed that the γ-Mo₂N on α-Al₂O₃(0 0 1) had a slight rhombohedral distortion (a = 0.4173(2) and α = 90.46(3)°). Superconductivity was observed below 2.8-3 K for the films grown at 973 K on MgO and on α-Al₂O₃(0 0 1).     

c-Axis correlated extended defects and critical current in YBa2Cu3Ox films grown on Au and Ag-nano dot decorated substrates

We report measurements of critical current in YBa₂Cu₃O_x films deposited on SrTiO₃ substrates decorated with silver and gold nanodots. An increase in critical current in these films, in comparison with the films deposited on non-decorated substrates, has been achieved. We argue that this increase comes from the c-axis correlated extended defects formed in the films and originated from the nanodots. Additionally to creating extended defects, the nanodots pin them and prevent their exit from the sample during the film growth, thus keeping a high density of defects and providing a lower rate of decrease of the critical current with the thickness of the films. The best pinning is achieved in the samples with silver nanodots by optimising their deposition temperature. The nanodots grown at a temperature of a few hundred °C have a small diameter of a few nanometres and a high surface density of 10¹¹–10¹² particles/cm². We give evidence of c-axis correlated extended defects in YBa₂Cu₃O_x films by planar and cross-sectional atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and angle-dependent transport measurements of critical current.     

Manganese-related luminescence in GaInAs/AlInAs multiple quantum wells grown on InP by molecular beam epitaxy

Two Mn-related luminescence peaks have been observed in a series of nominally undoped Ga_0.47In_0.53As/Al_0.48In_0.52As multiple quantum wells (MQW) grown lattice-matched on InP substrates by molecular beam epitaxy. These two peaks correspond to on-center and on-edge impurity states, respectively. The origin of the Mn impurities is outdiffusion from the Fe-doped semiinsulating InP substrate into the epitaxial layer. The binding energy of Mn acceptors, determined to be 53±3 meV in bulk-like Ga_0.47In_0.53As, increases to 80±5 meV for the on-center Mn state in a 58 Å MQW. The strong well-width dependence of the binding energy is explained in terms of the unique behavior of the Mn impurity in III–V semiconductors. The Mn in Ga_0.47In_0.53As and Ga_0.47In_0.53As/Al_0.48In_0.52As MQWs behaves predominantly as a deep impurity.On leave from: A. F. Ioffe Physicotechnical Institute, Leningrad, USSR     

Surface morphology of highly mismatched InSb films grown on GaAs substrates by molecular beam epitaxy

InSb films on GaAs(001) substrates with and without GaAs buffer layer have been grown by molecular beam epitaxy. Rather than surface undulations, aligned ripples and pyramidal hillocks along the orthogonal 〈110〉 directions were observed on the surface of InSb films. Both the preferential growth and the termination of ripples were proved to be related to strain‐driven mass transport. A model was proposed to elucidate the formation of the hillocks, which are more efficient to relax strain than ripples. Due to the strain relaxation through hillocks with small bases predominantly, the surfaces of the InSb films grown without a GaAs buffer layer are smoother than those of films grown with a GaAs buffer layer. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Strain-symmetrized Si/SiGe multi-quantum well structures grown by molecular beam epitaxy for intersubband engineering

Three strain-symmetrized Si/SiGe multi-quantum well structures, designed for probing the carrier lifetime of intrawell intersubband transitions between heavy hole 1 (HH1) and light hole 1 (LH1) states with transition energies below the optical phonon energy, were grown by molecular beam epitaxy at low temperature on fully relaxed SiGe virtual substrates. The grown structures were characterized by using various experimental techniques, showing a high crystalline quality and very precise growth control. The lifetime of the LH1 excited state was determined directly with pump-probe spectroscopy. The measurements indicated an increase of the lifetime by a factor of ∼2 due to the increasingly unconfined LH1 state, which agreed very well with the design. It also showed a very long lifetime of several hundred picoseconds for the holes excited out of the well to transit back to the well through a diagonal process.     

Anomalous electrical transport properties of Ag/Al bilayers grown on Si by molecular beam epitaxy

We have investigated the temperature dependent electrical resistivity, ρ(T), of Ag(100 nm)/Al(10 nm) bilayers grown on Si(111) and quartz substrates using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). Bilayers grown on Si exhibited an anomalous negative temperature coefficient of resistivity (TCR) in the temperature range of 140-165 K of the ρ(T) plot. However, at temperatures below and above this negative TCR region, ρ(T) exhibited a characteristic positive TCR of metallic alloys. No such resistive anomaly was observed for the bilayers grown on quartz substrates. The observed resistive anomaly could be qualitatively explained by assuming two parallel conduction channels, that is, one at the interface having high Si content and obeying the polaronic behavior at <165 K and another far away from the interface having almost no Si impurity and thus exhibiting pure metallic behavior down to 4 K. In addition, bilayers exhibited a sharp resistive transition at ∼6.5 K, indicating a possibility of a new Ag-Al alloy being a superconducting material.