Radiation induced modifications on microstructure and related properties of high temperature superconductor YBCO

Role of swift heavy ion irradiation on the modification of transport and st ructural properties of high temperature superconductors is studied. Good qu ality YBCO thin films prepared by high pressure oxygen sputtering and laser ablation were used in this investigation. Resistivity and atomic force mic roscopy (AFM) were mainly used to probe superconducting and microstructural modifications resulted from the irradiation of high energy and heavy ions like 100 MeV oxygen and 200 MeV silver. Radiation induced sputtering or ero sion is likely to be a major disastrous component of such high energy irrad iation that could be powerful in masking phase coherence effects, atleast i n grain boundaries. The extent of damage/nature of defects other than colum nar defects produced by swift heavy ions is discussed in the light of AFM m easurements. The effect of high energy oxygen ion irradiation is anomalous. A clear annealing effect at higher doses is seen. (C) 1999 Elsevier Scienc e B.V. All rights reserved.