Studies of resistance switching effects in metal/YBa2Cu3O7-x interface junctions

TL;DR

This study investigates resistance switching effects in YBa2Cu3O7-x-based junctions, revealing hysteretic behavior linked to oxygen vacancy dynamics, with implications for superconducting device applications.

Contribution

It provides experimental evidence of resistance switching in YBa2Cu3O7-x junctions and models the phenomena through oxygen vacancy diffusion under electrical fields.

Findings

Hysteretic resistance switching observed at various temperatures.

Switching behavior depends on current bias and temperature.

Diffusion model explains oxygen vacancy movement causing resistance changes.

Abstract

Current-voltage characteristics of planar junctions formed by an epitaxial c-axis oriented YBa2Cu3O7-x thin film micro-bridge and Ag counter-electrode were measured in the temperature range from 4.2 K to 300 K. A hysteretic behavior related to switching of the junction resistance from a high-resistive to a low-resistive state and vice-versa was observed and analyzed in terms of the maximal current bias and temperature dependence. The same effects were observed on a sub-micrometer scale YBa2Cu3O7-x thin film - PtIr point contact junctions using Scanning Tunneling Microscope. These phenomena are discussed within a diffusion model, describing an oxygen vacancy drift in YBa2Cu3O7-x films in the nano-scale vicinity of the junction interface under applied electrical fields.