(PBCGO) heterostructure*

Epitaxial growth and characterization of heterostructures made of high-temperature superconductor YBCO and cuprate insulator PBCGO are critical for developing many superconductor electronic devices including Josephson junctions, three-terminal devices, multichip modules, and other circuit applications. Of particular interest is the Josephson junction device with applications ranging from magnetometer sensors, quantum computing, radio telescopes, and national defense. These heterostructures are also important for fundamental science research, such as studies of mechanisms for high-TC and 2D superconductivity, and measurement of correlation energy.

Using the pulsed laser-based thin film deposition technique, we fabricated (110)-oriented YBa₂Cu₃O_7-x / PrBa₂(Cu_0.8Ga_0.2)₃O₇ heterostructure and performed x-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and Auger electron spectroscopy measurements to optimize its structural properties for the nanofabrication of Josephson junctions. Here, we present our experimental results of AFM and various x-ray measurements including theta-2 theta XRD patterns, rocking curve, x-ray reflectivity, pole figures, and reciprocal space mapping measurements. We also present our theoretical studies on the electronic structure of the heterostructure.