Ferroelectric/superconductor PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3/Y1Ba2Cu3O7−x/LaAlO3 heterostructure prepared by Nd:YAG pulsed laser deposition

Abstract

Ferroelectric/superconductor PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3/Y1Ba2 Cu3O7−x heterostructures have been grown on single-crystal LaAlO3 in a Nd:YAG pulsed laser deposition system. The cuprate superconductor is used as the metallic electrode for polarizing the lead zirconate titanate (PZT) layer. X-ray diffraction and rocking curve data evidence almost epitaxial growth of both the PZT (≊4500 Å) and the (YBCO) (≊2500 Å) layers on LaAlO3 substrates. Ferroelectric measurements yield remnant polarization values (at 177 kV/cm) of 29 μC/cm2, and coercive fields in the range of 70–85 kV/cm. The electrical resistivity of the PZT layer is determined to be 5×108 Ω cm. The electrical resistivity data for the YBCO underlayer even in the presence of the PZT overlayer yields Tc=89.5 K with a transition width of δT=1 K. In summary, excellent characteristics of coexisting superconducting and ferroelectric properties have been achieved in laser deposited PZT/YBCO/LaAlO3 heterostructures. As far as we know this is the first time such a result has been obtained by using a Nd:YAG pulsed laser deposition technique.