191 research outputs found
Ruddlesden-Popper faults in LaNiO3/LaAlO3 superlattices
Scanning transmission electron microscopy in combination with electron
energy-loss spectroscopy is used to study LaNiO3/LaAlO3 superlattices grown on
(La,Sr)AlO4 with varying single-layer thicknesses which are known to control
their electronic properties. The microstructure of the films is investigated on
the atomic level and the role of observed defects is discussed in the context
of the different properties. Two types of Ruddlesden-Popper faults are found
which are either two or three dimensional. The common planar Ruddlesden-Popper
fault is induced by steps on the substrate surface. In contrast, the
three-dimensionally arranged Ruddlesden-Popper fault, whose size is in the
nanometer range, is caused by the formation of local stacking faults during
film growth. Furthermore, the interfaces of the superlattices are found to show
different sharpness, but the microstructure does not depend substantially on
the single-layer thickness.Comment: 14 pages, 6 figure
Dramatic role of critical current anisotropy on flux avalanches in MgB2 films
Anisotropic penetration of magnetic flux in MgB2 films grown on vicinal
sapphire substrates is investigated using magneto-optical imaging. Regular
penetration above 10 K proceeds more easily along the substrate surface steps,
anisotropy of the critical current being 6%. At lower temperatures the
penetration occurs via abrupt dendritic avalanches that preferentially
propagate {\em perpendicular} to the surface steps. This inverse anisotropy in
the penetration pattern becomes dramatic very close to 10 K where all flux
avalanches propagate in the strongest-pinning direction. The observed behavior
is fully explained using a thermomagnetic model of the dendritic instability.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure
Universal temperature scaling of flux line pinning in high-temperature superconducting thin films
Dissipation-free current transport in high-temperature superconductors is one
of the most crucial properties of this class of materials which is directly
related to the effective inhibition of flux line movement by defect structures.
In this respect epitaxially grown thin films of YBa2Cu3O7-d (YBCO) are proving
to be the strongest candidates for many widescale applications that are close
to realization. We show that the relation between different defect structures
and flux line pinning in these films exhibits universal features which are
clearly displayed in a detailed analysis of the temperature-dependent behaviour
of local critical currents. This allows us to identify different pinning
mechanisms at different temperatures to be responsible for the found critical
currents. Additionally, the presence of grain boundaries with very low
misorientation angles affects the temperature stability of the critical
currents which has important consequences for future applications.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures To be published in Journal of Physics: Condensed
matte
Kinetic Inductance and Penetration Depth of Thin Superconducting Films Measured by THz Pulse Spectroscopy
We measure the transmission of THz pulses through thin films of YBCO at
temperatures between 10K and 300K. The pulses possess a useable bandwidth
extending from 0.1 -- 1.5 THz (3.3 cm^-1 -- 50 cm^-1). Below T_c we observe
pulse reshaping caused by the kinetic inductance of the superconducting charge
carriers. From transmission data, we extract values of the London penetration
depth as a function of temperature, and find that it agrees well with a
functional form (\lambda(0)/\lambda(T))^2 = 1 - (T/T_c)^{\alpha}, where
\lambda(0) = 148 nm, and \alpha = 2. *****Figures available upon request*****Comment: 7 Pages, LaTe
Tunable Charge and Spin Order in PrNiO Thin Films and Superlattices
We have used polarized Raman scattering to probe lattice vibrations and
charge ordering in 12 nm thick, epitaxially strained PrNiO films, and in
superlattices of PrNiO with the band-insulator PrAlO. A carefully
adjusted confocal geometry was used to eliminate the substrate contribution to
the Raman spectra. In films and superlattices under tensile strain, which
undergo a metal-insulator transition upon cooling, the Raman spectra reveal
phonon modes characteristic of charge ordering. These anomalous phonons do not
appear in compressively strained films, which remain metallic at all
temperatures. For superlattices under compressive strain, the Raman spectra
show no evidence of anomalous phonons indicative of charge ordering, while
complementary resonant x-ray scattering experiments reveal antiferromagnetic
order associated with a modest increase in resistivity upon cooling. This
confirms theoretical predictions of a spin density wave phase driven by spatial
confinement of the conduction electrons.Comment: PRL, in pres
Quantitative determination of bond order and lattice distortions in nickel oxide heterostructures by resonant x-ray scattering
We present a combined study of Ni -edge resonant x-ray scattering and
density functional calculations to probe and distinguish electronically driven
ordering and lattice distortions in nickelate heterostructures. We demonstrate
that due to the low crystal symmetry, contributions from structural distortions
can contribute significantly to the energy-dependent Bragg peak intensities of
a bond-ordered NdNiO reference film. For a LaNiO-LaAlO superlattice
that exhibits magnetic order, we establish a rigorous upper bound on the
bond-order parameter. We thus conclusively confirm predictions of a dominant
spin density wave order parameter in metallic nickelates with a
quasi-two-dimensional electronic structure
Superconducting and normal-state interlayer-exchange-coupling in LaSrMnO-YBaCuO_{0.67}_{0.33}{3}$ epitaxial trilayers
The issue of interlayer exchange coupling in magnetic multilayers with
superconducting (SC) spacer is addressed in LaSrMnO
(LSMO) - YBaCuO (YBCO) - LaSrMnO
(LSMO) epitaxial trilayers through resistivity, ac-susceptibility and
magnetization measurements. The ferromagnetic (FM) LSMO layers possessing
in-plane magnetization suppress the critical temperature (T of the
c-axis oriented YBCO thin film spacer. The superconducting order, however,
survives even in very thin layers (thickness d 50 {\AA}, 4
unit cells) at T 25 K. A predominantly antiferromagnetic (AF) exchange
coupling between the moments of the LSMO layers at fields 200 Oe is seen in
the normal as well as the superconducting states of the YBCO spacer. The
exchange energy J ( 0.08 erg/cm at 150 K for d = 75
{\AA}) grows on cooling down to T, followed by truncation of this growth
on entering the superconducting state. The coupling energy J at a fixed
temperature drops exponentially with the thickness of the YBCO layer. The
temperature and d dependencies of this primarily non-oscillatory J
are consistent with the coupling theories for systems in which transport is
controlled by tunneling. The truncation of the monotonic T dependence of
J below T suggests inhibition of single electron tunneling across
the CuO planes as the in-plane gap parameter acquires a non-zero value.Comment: Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.
Long-range charge density wave proximity effect at cuprate-manganate interfaces
The interplay between charge density waves (CDWs) and high-temperature
superconductivity is currently under intense investigation. Experimental
research on this issue is difficult because CDW formation in bulk copper-oxides
is strongly influenced by random disorder, and a long-range-ordered CDW state
in high magnetic fields is difficult to access with spectroscopic and
diffraction probes. Here we use resonant x-ray scattering in zero magnetic
field to show that interfaces with the metallic ferromagnet
LaCaMnO greatly enhance CDW formation in the optimally
doped high-temperature superconductor YBaCuO (), and that this effect persists over several tens of nm. The wavevector
of the incommensurate CDW serves as an internal calibration standard of the
charge carrier concentration, which allows us to rule out any significant
influence of oxygen non-stoichiometry, and to attribute the observed phenomenon
to a genuine electronic proximity effect. Long-range proximity effects induced
by heterointerfaces thus offer a powerful method to stabilize the charge
density wave state in the cuprates, and more generally, to manipulate the
interplay between different collective phenomena in metal oxides.Comment: modified version published in Nature Material
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