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We demonstrate fluorine intercalation into Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+x (BSCCO) flakes, as thick as 100 nm, by back-gating a single crystalline LaF3 substrate. Element-sensitive analysis not only confirms the presence of fluorine in BSCCO after gating but also reveals lateral diffusion of fluorine in BSCCO. Transport measurements further demonstrate the hole-doping effect of fluoride ions in BSCCO through effective modulation of the superconducting transitions. Our work introduces a distinct type of ions (F−) that can be intercalated into materials via solid state back-gating. It broadens the toolbox of ion back-gating and is useful for addressing exotic phenomena in the heavily hole doped regime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transport property of a superconducting Pb nanobridge, which is carved by focus ion beam technique from an atomically flat single-crystal Pb thin film grown on Si(111) substrate, is investigated. Below the superconducting transition temperature TC, the nanobridge exhibits a series of sharp voltage steps as a function of current. The multiple voltage steps are interpreted as a consequence of spatially localized phase slip centers or hot-spot formation in the bridge. Just below the critical current, the voltages versus current curve shows a power-law behavior in the low temperature region, but Ohmic near the TC. The thermally activated phase slip, quantum phase slip, and imhomogeneity in a one-dimensional superconducting system may contribute to the observed results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]