Structural characterization of ultrathin cuprate artificial superconducting structures by x-ray synchrotron radiation

Grazing incidence x-ray diffraction and reflectivity measurements were carried out on ultrathin (a few unit cells thick) superconducting heterostructures, based on Ba0.9Nd0.1CuO(sub 2+x) and CaCuO2 individual blocks, using undulator radiation from a third-generation synchroton. This analysis shows that the interfaces between the different constituent blocks are very sharp with roughness less than one unit cell.