Growth, patterning, and weak link behaviour in high Tc thin films

The authors report techniques for making Josephson weak links in thin films of the high-temperature ceramic superconductors. They have fabricated superconducting thin films of YBaCuO and BiSrCaCuO by several methods. These films have been patterned into fine lines and small loops, and a variety of measurements have been performed on these structures, Intrinsic weak link behaviour is observed between grains in patterned films and can be modified by an in-situ ion beam milling and measurement procedure