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Concepts and experimental procedures to obtain different types of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 grain boundaries Josephson junction through the biepitaxial technique have been developed. Various seed layers (MgO, CeO 2 and SrTiO 3) and substrates (MgO, SrTiO 3) have been used providing, for the biepitaxial technique, additional flexibility in circuit design. A detailed investigation on transport properties evidenced good performances for both junctions and superconducting quantum interference devices. Experimental evidence is given of a conventional magnetic field behavior in 45° tilt Artificial Grain Boundary (AGB) for which no π-loops are predicted along the interface.

The recombination dynamics of electron–hole pairs of pure and n-doped strontium titanate (STO) bulk samples after an intense UV laser-pulse excitation has been investigated by collecting and analyzing the frequency- and time-resolved photoluminescence (PL) signal, as a function of the sample temperature. The observed PL decay is in the nanosecond time-scale and it shows a peculiar mixed kinetics. In particular, two decay channels are clearly singled-out: the faster one has a decay-time that is markedly dependent on the photo-excited carrier density and it is well described as a bimolecular recombination process, while the second slower channel shows an excitation-independent rate and follows an unimolecular law. The PL spectra show a considerable variation with temperature, with a previously unreported, pronounced difference between pure and doped samples emerging at high temperatures. A first discussion of the possible underlying mechanisms is attempted.

The proportional regime of a double superconducting tunnel junction detector is described in terms of the diffusion equation of the nonequilibrium quasiparticles excited in the absorber by the impinging radiation. The expression of the output current signals through the junctions is obtained. Some numerical results are shown and discussed also in connection with the operation of the detector in the charge collection mode.

Superconductive thin films of Y-Ba-Cu-O have been grown in situ by r.f. magnetron sputtering from a single stoichiometric target on Al2O3 substrates. Zero-resistivity temperatures as high as 73 K have been achieved. X-ray and EDS analyses have been performed on the samples. The dependence of film features on deposition conditions is also discussed.

We present novel low-field magnetoresistive devices based on the ferromagnetic manganite La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 operating in the current in plane (CIP) configuration. In these planar spin-valve devices, a focused Ga+ beam is used to create pinning centers for magnetic domain walls. The spin-dependent scattering of polarized electrons at the domain walls (DW) is responsible for the magnetoresistance observed in the patterned tracks. The magneto-transport properties of these devices are interpreted within a model for DW magnetoresistance. Applications such as magnetic data storage can be envisaged for the structures we investigated. (C) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

We present femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy studies of time-resolved optical reflectivity of all-oxide YBa2Cu3O7/La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 (YBCO/LSMO) superconductor/ferromagnet (S/F) bilayers consisting of a 100-nm-thick YBCO base layer and either 10 or 35 nm LSMO cap thickness. At temperatures far below the YBCO superconducting transition T-C, samples with a 10 nm F overlayer show a photoresponse that is similar to, but faster than, pure-YBCO, 100-nm-thick reference samples, while close to T-C and above (up to similar to 160 K) we observe a signature of both the electronic and spin response that cannot be interpreted as an incoherent sum of contributions from the two layers. The photoresponse of the S/F structures with the 35-nm LSMO layer always qualitatively follows that of the pure LSMO, but with a shorter relaxation time. In all cases, the YBCO/LSMO nonequilibrium dynamics can be modeled using a generalized multitemperature model, which is a superposition of the dynamics of the three-temperature models that are used to describe the superconductor and ferromagnet subsystems, respectively. The long term of the photoresponse signal of the S/F bilayer can be well fitted with the two characteristic relaxation times. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevB.87.134514

The colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) manganese oxides, have been the subject of intense studies. To elucidate the mechanisms at work in the ferromagnetic metallic state is essential for the comprehension of the M–I transition and the associated CMR effect. We present here comparison among resistivities behavior in Ca and Sr-doped manganite films (x = 0.3) grown by different techniques and on several substrates allowing to analyze samples with different amounts of disorder. At low temperatures, a dominant T 2 term in the resistivity has generally been observed. Our analysis shows that for residual resistivity values larger than a critical one, there is a substantial deviation from the T 2-like behavior and that an unusual T 2.5 one is robust. This behavior supports the theoretical proposal of single magnon scattering in the presence of minority spin states localized by the disorder. In the high temperature insulating paramagnetic phase the resistivity shows the activated behavior characteristic of polaronic carriers. Finally in the whole range of temperatures the experimental data are found to be consistent with a phase separation scenario.

Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2011 in Nashville, Tennessee, USA, August 7–August 11, 2011.

We investigate pulsed laser deposition of LaGaO3/SrTiO3 at 10-1 mbar oxygen background pressure, demonstrating the critical effect of the target-to-substrate distance, dTS, on the interface sheet resistance, Rs. The interface turns from insulating to metallic by progressively decreasing dTS. The analysis of the LaGaO3 plume evidences the important role of the plume propagation dynamics on the interface properties. These results demonstrate the growth of conducting interfaces at an oxygen pressure of 10-1 mbar, an experimental condition where a well-oxygenated heterostructures with a reduced content of oxygen defects is expected., Comment: 16 pages, 3 figures

We investigate the effects of ambient pressure and substrate temperature on the deposition rate of oxides grown by pulsed laser deposition in oxygen atmosphere. The deposition rate of LaGaO3 (LGO) and LaAlO3 (LAO) is studied at room temperature by means of a quartz crystal microbalance and at 800 °C by exploiting reflection high energy electron diffraction. We observe a clear dependence of the deposition rate on temperature for an oxygen pressure between 10−2 and 1 mbar. A simple model based on multiple-elastic-scattering processes thoroughly describes the observed dependence of the deposition rate on the pressure/density of the background gas.

Preparation procedure and sample characterization of 112 BiSCCO pellets exhibiting high-Tc superconductivity are discussed. TypicalI–V and dV/dI curves of Nb/BiSCCO point conctact junctions at various temperatures are presented.

The fabrication procedure of reliable YBCO-based bulk junctions with a Nb film as a counterelectrode is described. Typical currentvoltage characteristics are presented, clearly showing the presence of the Josephson effect.

The authors prepared Mo/sub 60/Re/sub 40/ thin films by single target magnetron sputtering. All the films analyzed exhibited a sharp superconductive transition and values of the critical temperature T/sub c/ up to 13 K were achieved. Structural analyses (EDS and X-rays) were performed on the samples. A15 phase was obtained even at low deposition temperatures. From the measured low temperature resistivity O/sub c/ and critical temperature T/sub c/ an estimate of the theoretical BCS surface resistance is inferred and compared with that of niobium. >