Laser writes superconducting and insulating zones in HTSC

Researchers from Politecnico di Milano, ICMAB-CSIC in Barcelona and the Université de Liège have developed a direct laser writing approach that lets them "draw" superconducting properties in a material, Le Scienze reports. According to the authors, the method locally programs the behavior of a superconductor, modulating it from a superconducting to an insulating state with high precision. lescienze.it The work is published in Advanced Functional Materials. lescienze.it

Why high-temperature superconductors are hard to pattern

High-temperature superconductors (HTSC) conduct electricity without resistance at higher temperatures than conventional superconductors. They can operate at temperatures reachable with inexpensive liquid-nitrogen cooling, so they are considered candidates for quantum technologies, superconducting electronics and next-generation memory devices. lescienze.it

Making defined structures in HTSC at very small scales is difficult. Their ceramic nature makes them prone to degradation during conventional micro- and nanofabrication. The oxygen content is the key factor that determines whether the material is superconducting or insulating. lescienze.it

Laser writing with oxygen control

The researchers used a focused laser to modify the material locally, controlling the oxygen concentration point by point. By varying laser power and exposure time, they created regions with different properties. "We were able to draw structures in the material much like a pen on a sheet of paper," said Irene Biancardi, a Politecnico di Milano researcher and first author of the study. lescienze.it

The resulting structure places insulating areas next to superconducting ones, along with any intermediate gradient. lescienze.it

Anna Palau of the Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona, one of the corresponding authors, noted that a homogeneous sample, either fully oxygenated or uniformly deoxygenated, is easy to obtain. The real challenge, she said, is producing small structures with different oxygenation levels within the same film. lescienze.it

Edoardo Albisetti and Daniela Petti of the Department of Physics at Politecnico di Milano said the approach opens possibilities for designing superconducting devices with tailored properties. In their view, local modulation of superconducting behavior could be used in resonators, memory elements and components for quantum technologies. lescienze.it

Politecnico di Milano and partners use a laser to set superconducting and insulating regions in an HTSC film

Why high-temperature superconductors are hard to pattern

Laser writing with oxygen control

Sources · 1

Read also

Climate models: cold blob south of Greenland may fade as AMOC weakens further