Suppression of superconductivity by crystallographic defects in epitaxial Sr2RuO4 films

Citation
Ma. Zurbuchen et al., Suppression of superconductivity by crystallographic defects in epitaxial Sr2RuO4 films, APPL PHYS L, 78(16), 2001, pp. 2351-2353
Citations number
16
Categorie Soggetti
Apllied Physucs/Condensed Matter/Materiales Science
Journal title
APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS
ISSN journal
00036951 → ACNP
Volume
78
Issue
16
Year of publication
2001
Pages
2351 - 2353
Database
ISI
SICI code
0003-6951(20010415)78:16<2351:SOSBCD>2.0.ZU;2-Q
Abstract
Epitaxial Sr2RuO4 thin films grown by pulsed-laser deposition from high-pur ity (99.98%) Sr2RuO4 targets on (001) LaAlO3 were found to be not supercond ucting down to 0.4 K. Structural disorder is believed to be responsible. A correlation was observed between higher resistivity ratios in electrical tr ansport measurements and narrower x-ray diffraction rocking curve widths of the Sr2RuO4 films. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy reveal ed that the dominant structural defects, i.e., the defects leading to the o bserved variation in rocking curve widths in the films, are (011) planar de fects, with a spacing comparable to the in-plane superconducting coherence length of Sr2RuO4. These results imply that minimizing structural disorder is the key remaining challenge to achieving superconducting Sr2RuO4 films. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.