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Direct Evidence for Block-by-Block Growth in High-Temperature Superconductor Ultrathin Films

M. Varela, W. Grogger, D. Arias, Z. Sefrioui, C. León, C. Ballesteros, K. M. Krishnan, J. Santamaría

DOI 10.1103/PhysRevLett.86.5156 · Physical Review Letters

T1

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Abstract

Charge neutrality and stoichiometry impose severe restrictions on the mechanisms of epitaxial growth of complex oxides. The fundamental question arises of what is the minimum growth unit when sample thickness is reduced beyond the size of the unit cell. We have investigated the growth mechanism of YBa2Cu3O7 cuprate superconductor, using a consistent approach based on the growth of noninteger numbers of YBa2Cu3O7 layers in YBa2Cu3O7/PrBa2Cu3O7 superlattices. Ex situ chemical and structural analysis evidence a 2D block-by-block mechanism in which the minimum growth units are complete unit cell blocks, growing coherently over large lateral distances.

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FormulaReported Tc (K)Pressure (GPa)Type
YBa2Cu3O7

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40Pressure unresolvedzero_resistance

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