Transport characteristics of superconducting MoN strips with a single side cut near one of the superconductor edges in zero and weak magnetic fields are studied experimentally and theoretically. The presence of the cut makes it possible to observe regimes with one and several simultaneously moving Abrikosov vortices, the number of which is controlled by the value of the applied current. A change in the number of vortices is accompanied with the emergence of a “kink” on the current–voltage characteristic, which can be clearly distinguished in the dependence of the differential resistance on the current. This makes it possible to find average velocityv¯of vortices (including a single vortex) and the current/voltage ranges with the known number of moving vortices. The vortex velocity determined in this way for our superconducting strips turns out to be weakly depending on the current and is close to maximal valuev¯max≈ 3 km/s, for which a superconductor transition to the normal state occurs. The maximal velocity value is comparable with the known values for superconductors of types Nb, NbN as well as, and YBCO, but is several times smaller than for superconductors of types MoSi, NbC, and Pb. The fact that difference in the maximal velocities of vortices is associated with different times of variation of the superconducting order parameter magnitude in different superconducting materials is considered.

Magnetotransport measurements were carried out for YBa_2Cu_3O_{7-x} (YBCO) thin films in external perpendicular magnetic fields of H. The studies were performed both for the virgin samples and for the irradiated ones. Xenon ions were used as an external irradiation. Thus we studied features of the broadening of superconducting transition in YBCO films (virgin and irradiated). The broadening of superconducting drop was analyzed depending on an external magnetic field H, as well as on an irradiation dose n_D. When processing the experimental data R(H, T), we studied a criterion for determination of temperature dependence of the upper critical field H_{c2}(T). The criterion was analyzed depending on the defect concentration in the film corresponding to a certain value of n_D. It was found out that for a virgin sample, H_{c2} should be determined by the resistance level R = 0.4R_N inside the superconducting transition, where R_N = R(T = 100 K). With a gradual increase in n_D, this resistance level decreases. At sufficiently high radiation doses n_D > 7·10^{12} cm^{-2}, the H_{c2}(T) phase transition line should be determined by the level R ≈ 0.

The disorder effect on superconducting properties of thin-film YBCO nanostructures in external magnetic fields is experimentally studied. The disorder was produced by irradiation with xenon ions. The research included transport measurements of narrow bridges based on HTSC YBCO films (thickness 50 nm) in strong magnetic fields (up to 12 T). Thus, for samples with different degrees of disorder, critical dependencies have been studied, i.e. the Hc2(T) phase transition line, the Hirr(T) irreversibility line, etc. The dependences of the mean-free path and critical temperature on the concentration of defects created by ion irradiation have been experimentally studied. The experimental data are described using formulas obtained within the framework of well-known models, such as the Ginzburg-Landau theory, the Drude theory and the Gorkov equations.

The original research results for thin disordered HTSC films based on YBCO are presented in this article. Several experiments have been carried out to confirm a theoretical prediction that the s-phase of superconducting pairing in disordered d-type superconductors can occur with a gradual decrease in the mean free path. The YBa_2Cu_3O_{7-x} films were used as samples which possess a d-type of superconducting state that was experimentally confirmed. A gradual decrease in the mean free path was achieved by both thermal annealing and ion irradiation. The experiments included measurements of temperature dependence of the London penetration depth λ and resistive studies.

The temperature dependence of the linear electrodynamic response of thin-film superconductor (MoN)–normal metal (Al) hybrid structures with a high conductivity ratio in the normal state has been theoretically and experimentally investigated. Low-frequency measurements of the coefficient of mutual induction of two coils with a sample placed between them indicate an increase in the magnetic screening of the superconductor–normal metal (SN) structures with an increase in the Al layer thickness dAl near liquid-helium temperatures. Measurements of the frequency shift δf of a microwave dielectric resonator, brought into contact with the sample, as a function of temperature and dAl showed that (i) the character of the dependence δf(T) depends strongly on dAl and (ii) the resonance frequency shift of SN structures at temperatures close to the critical temperature Tc is not described by dependence const/(1 – T/Tc), which is typical of thin superconducting films. Numerical calculations performed within the Usadel model well describe the observed effects. Thus, these anomalies of the electrodynamic properties of SN structures can be explained by the presence of a minigap in the spectrum of quasiparticles due to the proximity effect in a normal-metal layer, which depends on dAl, and by the high conductivity of the Al layer.

Temperature dependence of linear electrodynamic response of thin-film hybrid structures superconductor (MoN) — normal metal (Al) with large ratio of normal-state conductivities was studied theoretically and experimentally. Low-frequency measurements of the mutual inductance of two coils with a sample placed between them indicated an increase in magnetic screening ability of the superconductor – normal metal (SN) hybrid structures at liquid helium temperatures as $d_Al$ increases, where $d_Al$ is the thickness of the Al layer. Measurements of the frequency shift $\delta f$ of the microwave dielectric resonator, which was in contact with the SN samples as a function of temperature and $d_Al$ demonstrated that (i) type of the $\delta f(T)$ dependence depends significantly on $d_Al$ and (ii) the shift of resonant frequency of the SN structures at temperatures close to the critical temperature Tc cannot be approximated by a functional dependence $const/(1–T/T_c)$, which is typical for thin superconducting films. Numerical calculations performed within the Usadel model describe the observed effects quite well. Thus, the mentioned anomalies of the electrodynamic properties of the SN hybrid structures can be explained by an appearance of a mini-gap in the spectrum of quasi-particle excitation caused by the proximity effect in the normal metal layer, which depends on $d_Al$ as well as by the high conductivity of the Al layer.

AbstractAn unusual decrease in the slope of the upper critical field near T _ c 0 at a gradual increase in the ion implantation dose has been experimentally observed in narrow bridges formed on the base of thin HTSC YBa_2Cu_3O_7 – _ x films, while an increase in the defect concentration usually leads to an increase in the local slope of the phase transition line H _ c 2( T ). In addition, it has been found that the temperature dependence of the upper critical field has a positive curvature near T _ c 0. A possible theoretical interpretation of the results is proposed. It is based on the modified Ginzburg–Landau theory with a nonuniform length of superconducting correlations.

Spectra of the differential tunneling conductivity for ultrathin lead films grown on Si(111) 7 × 7 single crystals with a thickness of 9 to 50 ML have been studied by low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy. The presence of local maxima of the tunneling conductivity is characteristic of such systems. The energies of maxima of the differential conductivity are determined by the spectrum of quantum-confined states of electrons in a metallic layer and, consequently, the local thickness of the layer. It has been shown that features of the microstructure of substrates, such as steps of monatomic height, structural defects, and inclusions of other materials covered with a lead layer, can be visualized by bias-modulation scanning tunneling spectroscopy.

We describe and demonstrate a new differential method capable of measuring the profiles of transparent structures. Based on fiber-optic low-coherence interferometry and possessing a high noise immunity, the proposed technique can be used for the noncontact in situ diagnostics of microstructures under extremal conditions.