[en] Cuprate high-temperature superconductors, such as Yttrium Barium Copper Oxide (YBCO), are extremely promising for emerging technologies such as low-power computing, data storage, quantum sensors, and superconducting electronics. However, the realization of high-performance functional nanostructures presents formidable challenges due to the difficulty of applying conventional nanofabrication methods to such sensitive materials, making the search for alternative methods a key enabling factor. Since YBCO's superconducting and normal-state properties are highly dependent on oxygen stoichiometry, precise nanoscale control of the oxygen content represents a highly appealing approach for creating advanced nanoengineered devices. In this work, we demonstrate the precise fabrication of sub-micrometer, grayscale patterns over large areas in epitaxial YBCO thin films, achieving finely tuned optical and superconducting transport properties by locally controlling the stoichiometry through maskless direct laser writing under ambient conditions. Cryogenic magneto-optical imaging and transport measurements in irradiated devices directly demonstrate the spatial tuning of the critical temperature and carrier density with the patterning conditions. Correlated Raman microscopy and reflectometry indicate a laser-power-dependent oxygen depletion in the irradiated regions. The proposed laser-controlled stoichiometry approach provides a direct and scalable method to navigate the phase diagram of high-TC superconducting oxides, offering new possibilities for integrating functional nanostructures into superconducting devices.
Disciplines :
Physics
Author, co-author :
Biancardi, Irene ; Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy
Levati, Valerio; Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy
Alcalà, Jordi; Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona, ICMAB-CSIC, Barcelona, Spain ; Departament d'Enginyeria Electrònica, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
Günkel, Thomas; Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona, ICMAB-CSIC, Barcelona, Spain ; Departament d'Enginyeria Electrònica, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
Lejeune, Nicolas ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de physique > Physique expérimentale des matériaux nanostructurés
Girelli, Riccardo; Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy
Silhanek, Alejandro ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de physique > Physique expérimentale des matériaux nanostructurés
Russo, Valeria; Dipartimento di Energia, Laboratorio Materiali Micro e Nanostrutturati, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy
Mestres, Narcís; Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona, ICMAB-CSIC, Barcelona, Spain
Petti, Daniela ; Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy
Palau, Anna ; Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona, ICMAB-CSIC, Barcelona, Spain
Albisetti, Edoardo ; Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy
Language :
English
Title :
Nanoscale Spatial Tuning of Superconductivity in Cuprate Thin Films via Direct Laser Writing
This project received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement number 948225 (project B3YOND) and grant agreement number 101007417, having benefited from access to the facilities of ICN2 \u2010 Fundaci\u00F3 Institut Catal\u00E0 de Nanoci\u00E8ncia i Nanotecnologia, Barcelona (ES), within the framework of the NFFA\u2010Europe Pilot Transnational Access Activity, proposal ID557. The work was further supported by the Research Foundation\u2014Flanders (FWO) and the F.R.S.\u2010FNRS through the Excellence of Science (EOS) programme (project number O.0028.22), and by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) through COST Action SUPERQUMAP (CA21144). Additional funding was provided by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033) through the \u201CSevero Ochoa\u201D Programme for Centres of Excellence (CEX2023\u2010001263\u2010S), the projects HTSUPERFUN (PID2021\u2010124680OB\u2010I00) and HTS\u20104ICT (PID2024\u2010156025OB\u2010I00), co\u2010financed by ERDF\u2014A way of making Europe, and by the Spanish Nanolito networking project (RED2022\u2010134096\u2010T). This work was also supported by predoctoral and research fellowships from the AGAUR Catalan Government (2022 FISDU 00115) and from the F.R.S.\u2010FNRS (Research Fellowships FRIA).This work was partially carried out at PoliFab, the microtechnology and nanotechnology center of the Politecnico di Milano. V.L. acknowledges Matteo Fettizio for his valuable assistance with wire bonding. E.A. acknowledges funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement number 948225 (project B3YOND). N.L. acknowledges support from FRS\u2010FNRS (Research Fellowships FRIA). A.V.S acknowledge financial support from The Research Foundation\u2014Flanders (FWO) and the F.R.S.\u2010FNRS through the Excellence of Science (EOS) programme (project number O.0028.22), from COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) through COST Action SUPERQUMAP (CA21144), and from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant agreement number 101007417 having benefited from the access to the facilities of ICN2 \u2010 Fundaci\u00F3 Institut Catal\u00E0 de Nanoci\u00E8ncia i Nanotecnologia, Barcelona (ES), within the framework of the NFFA\u2010Europe Pilot Transnational Access Activity, proposal ID557. T.G. acknowledges support from the AGAUR Catalan Government through a Predoctoral Fellowship (2022 FISDU 00115). A.P. and N.M. acknowledge financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033) through the \u201CSevero Ochoa\u201D Programme for Centres of Excellence (CEX2023\u2010001263\u2010S), the projects HTSUPERFUN (PID2021\u2010124680OB\u2010I00) and HTS\u20104ICT (PID2024\u2010156025OB\u2010I00), co\u2010financed by ERDF\u2014A way of making Europe, and from the Spanish Nanolito networking project (RED2022\u2010134096\u2010T). A.P and N.M. also acknowledge the Scientific Services at ICMAB and the PhD programme in Materials Science at the Universitat Aut\u00F2noma de Barcelona (UAB).
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