Perfect Domain-Lattice Matching Between MgB2 and Al2O3: Single-Crystal MgB2 Thin Films Grown on Sapphire

TL;DR

This study demonstrates the successful growth of high-quality single-crystal MgB2 thin films on sapphire substrates via perfect lattice matching, achieving near-ideal superconducting properties.

Contribution

It introduces a novel lattice-matching approach for growing high-quality MgB2 films on Al2O3 substrates, enabling improved superconducting film quality.

Findings

Zero-resistance transition temperature of 39.6 K

Critical current density comparable to depairing limit

Films exhibit rapid current density decrease with magnetic field

Abstract

We have found that single-crystal films can be grown on (0001) Al2O3 substrates through the golden relation of a perfect lattice-matching ratio between the a-axis lattice constants of MgB2 and Al2O3. Selected area electron diffraction patterns evidently indicate hexagonal MgB2 film with a 30 degrees in-plane rotation with respect to the Al2O3 substrate. The films grown on Al2O3 show a zero-resistance transition temperature of 39.6 K with a transition width of 0.1 K. The critical current density at zero field is comparable to the depairing critical current density and rapidly decreases with increasing applied field due to the lack of pinning sites, as observed for high-quality MgB2 single crystals.