Localized Photoresponse of YBCO Films Patterned by Heavy-Ion Lithography

Heavy Ion Lithography was used for local tuning the superconducting properties (critical temperature and critical current) of high temperature superconducting films through the introduction of ion induced nanostructures confined in micrometric areas. These modified areas were patterned on a device layout that was designed for the wide-band bolometric detection of electromagnetic radiation. The device was biased with constant current at a specific temperature in order to obtain the localization of the electromagnetic excitation only into the modified areas. The device was tested with coherent light stimuli in the visible spectrum and the photoresponse was measured with high frequency real-time sampling. The localization of the photoexcitation was demonstrated by scanning the laser beam across the modified and as-grown areas of the device.