On-Demand Local Modification of High-T<sub>c</sub> Superconductivity in Few Unit-Cell Thick Bi<sub>2</sub> Sr<sub>2</sub> CaCu<sub>2</sub> O<sub>8+δ</sub>.

Ghosh, Sanat; Vaidya, Jaykumar; Datta, Sawani; Pandeya, Ram Prakash; Jangade, Digambar A; Kulkarni, Ruta N; Maiti, Kalobaran; Thamizhavel, Arumugam et al. · Adv Mater · 2020

basic_science · Level V

Where this comes from

Abstract

High-temperature superconductors (HTSs) are important for potential applications and for understanding the origin of strong correlations. Bi<sub>2</sub> Sr<sub>2</sub> CaCu<sub>2</sub> O<sub>8+δ</sub> (BSCCO), a van der Waals material, offers a platform to probe the physics down to a unit-cell. Guiding the flow of electrons by patterning 2DEGS and oxide heterostructures has brought new functionality and access to new science. Similarly, modifying superconductivity in HTS locally, on a small length scale, is of immense interest for superconducting electronics. A route to modify superconductivity locally by depositing metal on the surface is reported here by transport studies on few unit-cell thick BSCCO. Deposition of chromium (Cr) on the surface over a selected area of BSCCO results in insulating behavior of the underlying region. Cr locally depletes oxygen in CuO<sub>2</sub> planes and disrupts the superconductivity in the layers below. This technique of modifying superconductivity is suitable for making sub-micrometer superconducting wires and more complex superconducting devices.