Fabrication and electrical transport characterization of high quality underdoped YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-{\delta}}$ nanowires

TL;DR

This study reports the fabrication and electrical characterization of underdoped YBa₂Cu₃O₇-δ nanowires, revealing their potential for single photon detection and phase diagram exploration due to their unique transport properties.

Contribution

The paper demonstrates the successful fabrication of undamaged underdoped YBa₂Cu₃O₇-δ nanowires without protective layers and characterizes their distinct electrical behavior.

Findings

Nanowires exhibit transport properties similar to thin films.

Large hysteretic voltage switching at critical current observed.

Potential applications in single photon detection and phase diagram studies.

Abstract

We present the fabrication and electrical transport characterization of underdoped YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-{\delta}}$ nanowires. The nanowires have been realized without any protective capping layer and they show transport properties similar to those of the parent thin film, demonstrating that they have not been damaged by the nanopatterning. The current-voltage characteristics of the underdoped nanowires show large hysteretic voltage switching at the critical current, in contrast to the flux-flow like characteristics of optimally doped nanostructures, indicating the formation of a self-stabilizing hot spot. These results open up new possibilities of using the underdoped nanowires for single photon detection and for exploring the underdoped side of the YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_{7-{\delta}}$ phase diagram at the nanoscale.