1

Electrical Characterization of
Superconducting Microbridge
Josephson Junctions with
Ferromagnetic Strip
Luis Gmez a, b, Shinichi Kitamura b, Takahiro
Kubo b, Haruhisa Kitano b, and Atsutaka Maeda b
a Japan

Science and Technology Agency

b The University of Tokyo

Sponsors and Collaborators

Work supported by JST (Japan Science and
Technology Agency)

Through the CREST program (Core Research

for Evolutional Science and Technology)

Research area: Creation of Ultrafast, UltralowPower, Super-performance Nanodevices and Systems
Project: Single-Flux-Quantum Terahertz
Electronics

Collaborators:
Prof. Akira Fujimaki (Nagoya University)
Prof. Masayoshi Tonouchi (Osaka University)
and Prof. Yukio Tanaka (Nagoya University)

Outline
Motivation
Important Josephson Junction Parameters for
SFQ Circuits
Overview on Microbridges
F/S Microbridges
Results
Summary and Future Work

Motivation
Fabricate HTS Josephson
junctions with high IcRN
products for SFQ circuits
I c RN

S' (0) / 2e,

I c RN | (Tc  T ) u 0.635 mV

For HTS with Tc 100 K

Large Gaps 2=20-60meV
IcRN 10s mV

I c RN
GHz
| 500
I c RN
)0
mV

Ambegaokar and
Baratoff, PRL
10, 486 (1963)

, T z 0 (close to Tc )
These values are seldom
achieved:
See for example: 10 mV reported by P.
A. Rosenthal et. al., APL 63, 1984
(1993) and 8 mV reported by Y. Divin
et. al., Physica C 372-376, 115 (2002)

Important Josephson Junction

Parameters for SFQ circuits

Small spread of individual JJs Ic, RN values

Minimal parasitic inductance and capacitance
2S
For Phase Mode SFQ logic
EC
I c CR 2
)0
1/ 2
used overdamped JJs (EC<<1)
)0

O
J
Small junctions (w<<4OJ)
2SPJ L
c eff

These requirements are

satisfy by weak link
microbridges

Overview on Microbridges
Two metals overlay

LTS

Magnetically form
R. Y. Chiao et. al.,
Rev. Phys. Appl. 9,
183 (1974)
A. L. Gudkov et. al.,
Sov. Tech. Phys.
Lett. 5, 506 (1979)
Dolan and Lukens, IEEE Trans. on
Magnetics. 1, 581 (1977)

HTS

S. Tolpygo and M.
Gurvitch, Appl. Phys.
Lett. 69, 3914 (1996)

Direct E-beam written

SFQ
circuit

S. Shokhor, Appl. Phys.Lett. 67, 2869 (1995)

F/S Microbridges

Fabrication
La2-xSrxCuO4 via PLD
KrF excimer laser (O=248nm)

250 mJ, 1 Hz
790C, O2 (10-1 torrs)
On LaSrAlO4
EBL, liftoff mask for Fe
EBL, Mask for microbridge
Wet etch in 0.05% HCl
Suppression of
superconductivity
directly underneath Fe
strip

LSAO

400nm Fe

W=2m
ts=65nm
l=400nm
tf=60nm

LSCO

Fe
LSCO
LSAO

Results (RTs)
35k

2006/09/13: LSCO15% 060811_7.5minC_45sec

Without Fe
With Fe, 300nm

30k

A
400

NO Fe
A&B

25k

B
300

20k
15k
10k
5k
0

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

Temperature ( K )

NO Fe
C&D

400

2006/09/13: LSCO15% 060811_7.5minC_45sec

Without Fe
With Fe, 300nm

350
300

C
200

D
100

250
200
150
100
50
0
14

16

18

20

22

Temperature ( K )

24

26

28

Results (IVs)

400

2006/09/13: LSCO15% 060811_7.5minC_45sec

120

Without Fe
With Fe, 300nm

350

100

300
80

250
200

5.0 K
7.0 K
9.0 K
11. 0K
13.0 K
15.0 K
17.0 K
19.0 K

60

150

40

100
20

50
0
14

16

18

20

22

24

26

28

Ic [1V criteria]
0

Temperature ( K )
1000

400

IC = IC0

50

IcRN ~ 20mV

T @ 15.00K

12

15

60

Without Fe
With Fe, 300nm

600

Voltage ( mV )

2006/09/14: LSCO15% 060811_7.5minC_45sec

800

1 - T / Tc

40

200

30

Jc ~ 15.4 kA/cm
RN ~ 1 k:
UN ~ 65m: -cm

-600
-800
-1000
-100 -80

-60

-40

-20

20

Voltage ( mV )

40

60

80

20
2

10

100

4 5

7 8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

Temperature

Ic ~ 20 PA

-400

-200

Results (Ic vs. B)

10
8

+Ic
-Ic

@18K

6
4
2
0
-2
-4
-6
-8
-10

-80

-60

-40

-20

20

40

60

80

B(G)

Area W u leff
leff

Area
W

)0
B0

20.7GPm 2
45G
0.46 Pm 2
2Pm

0.46 Pm 2

230nm

10

For 300nm
wide Fe
strip

I-Vs + microwaves
(Shapiro & Photon induced steps)
1m

2006/10/31: LSCO15%060818_5minC_15sec

800

0.7

800

0.6

600

Fe, 400nm

600
0.5

400

2006/10/31: LSCO15%060818_5minC_15sec
Fe, 400nm

0.35
0.30

400

0.25

200

200

0.20

0.4

0
0.3

T=17.5 K
2 GHz
0.0 dBm

-200
-400

0.2

0.15

T=17.5 K
2 GHz
0.0 dBm

-200
-400

-600
-800
-1m
-150

11

-100

-50

50

100

Voltage (V)

V1

) 0Q AC

0.05

0.1

-600

0.0

-800
-50 -40 -30 -20 -10

150

2GHz
| 4 PV
GHz
500
mV

0.10

10

Voltage (V)

20

30

40

0.00

50

Summary and Future work

We are fabricating Fe / LSCO microbridge junctions
With promising Josephson characteristics and large IcRN products.

The fabrication method is:

Simple; compatible with modern lithographic techniques.
Suitable for large integration of Josephson junctions into circuits

Junctions may address all the SFQ requirements

Reproducibility of junctions is still an open question

Mechanism for junctions is still an open question

Method should work for both HTS and LTS

Future work: Fabrication of SQUIDS and Antennas:

12

13

End of Presentation
Additional information below

Ic vs. B (as a function of

temperature)
2006/09/15: LSCO15%060811_7.5minC_45sec
20
18
16
14

Fe, 300nm
15K
18K
19K

12
10
8
6
4
2
0

-80

-60

-40

-20

B(G)

20

40

60

80

14

Ferromagnet/Superconducting
microbridges
Sample fabrication (Ferromagnet evaporation)

15

Ferromagnet/Superconducting
microbridges
Sample fabrication (Etch)

16

Ferromagnet/Superconducting
microbridges
Top view

17

Ferromagnet/Superconducting
microbridges
Top view

18

Ferromagnet/Superconducting
microbridge JJs
Finished sample

19

Ferromagnet/Superconducting
microbridge JJs
Sample dimensions

20

Junctions electrical characterization:

Experimental setup
DC-electrical characterizations
as a function of :
Temperature range (4.2 K-100 K)
Magnetic field up to (350G)
Microwaves up to (20GHz)
20 individual leads

21

New Cryo-Probe

R vs. T (Josephson junction signature).

22

NO Fe

A A&B
400

B
300

LSAO

400nm

LSCO

NO Fe

C
C&D
200

W=2m
tS=65nm
l=400nm
tF=60nm

D
100

E-beam voltage = 50KV

5000

2006/10/27: LSCO15% 060818_5minC_15sec

20

2006/10/27: LSCO15% 060818_5minC_15sec

400nm Fe Strip

400nm Fe Strip

4000

3000

10
2000

1000

0
20

25

30

35

40

Temperature (K)

45

50

0
25

26

27

Temperature (K)

28

Comparison with E-beam damaged JJs

E-beam voltage = 120KV

S. Tolpygo et al, Appl. Phys. Lett. 63, 1696 (1993)

23

Photolithography made samples

12

24

2006/08/24: LSCO15% 060613_10min_90sec

Without Fe
With Fe

10

0
26

27

28

29

30

31

32

Temperature (K)

600

2006/08/24: LSCO15% 060613_10min_90sec

1k

Without Fe
With Fe

2006/08/24: LSCO15% 060613_10min_90sec

100
400

Without Fe
With Fe

10

1
200

100m

10m
0
26

28

30

32

34

Temperature (K)

36

38

1m
26

27

28

29

30

Temperature (K)

31

32

25

RTs and IVs

2006/11/23: LSCO20%-061013_10min(A)-400nmFe

2006/11/21:LSCO20%061013_10min(A)_12sec
100
10

NoFe
400nmFe
IBias = 1PA

400

2
1

@29.0K

300

0.1

200

-1
IV (B=0 G)
IV (B=400G)
dV/dI (B=0 G)
dV/dI (B=400G)

-2

0.01
1E-3
28.0

500

-3
28.5

29.0

29.5

30.0

Temperature (K)

30.5

31.0

-1000

-500

500

Voltage (mV)

IcRN ~ 4 mV

1000

100

Ic vs. T (Wide vs. narrow junctions)

26

60

2006/09/14: LSCO15% 060811_7.5minC_45sec

0.010

Ic

Fe, 300nm

1/2

Ic

50

40

0.008

Wide Junction

0.006

Narrow Junction

30

0.004
20

10

IC = IC0 ( 1 - T / Tc )
Tc # 23.7 K

0.002

0
4

10

12

14

16

18

20

0.000
22

Temperature (K)

S. Tolpygo et al, Appl. Phys. Lett. 69, 3914 (1996)

For T=15K
1/ 2

OJ

)0

| 1.4Pm
2SP0 J c 2OL  l

Possible explanations for the junction

formation (theory)

27

Ferromagnetic proximity effect in F/S multilayer

V. Pea et al, PRB. 69, 224502 (2004)

LTS

Buzdin, RMP. 77, 77935 (2005)

HTS

Possible explanations for the junction

formation (theory)
Inverse proximity effect in S near F material

LTS

M. A. Sillanpaa et al, Europhys. Lett. 56, 590 (2001)

28

PLD growth of LSCO films

29

Schematic Figure of PLD

Deposition condition:
KrF Excimer Laser
O=248nm

LSCO

79010-1torr
Substrate: LSAO

250mJ,1Hz
Substrate Holder

PLD growth parameters

30

Film thickness

31

Y.Maeno et al. : Physica C173 322.

LSCO Structure
H.Sato et al. : Phys. Rev. B61 12447.

J. B. Torrance et al. : Phys. Rev. Lett.68 3777.

32

LSCO characterization

33

X-ray

- T

c-axis length:

13.16 (x=0.15)
12.83 (x=0.20)

LSCO thin film properties

M. Suzuki and M. Hikita, PRB 44, 249 (1991)

34

R-Ts for
LSCO15%060811_7.5minC_45sec
2006/09/14:LSCO15%060811_7.5minC_45sec
200nm

10M
1M
100k
10k
1k

Fe, 400nm
Fe, 300nm
No Fe, 300&400
Fe, 200nm
Fe, 100nm
No Fe, 100&200

100
10

300nm

100nm

400nm

100m
10m
1m
16

18

20

22

24

Temperature (K)

26

28

35

36

10

La2-xSrxCuO4 / LaSrAlO4 Thin Film

La2-xSrxCuO4 (LSCO)
1.00

10

0.10
-1

10

x = 0.07 (t = 460 nm)

x = 0.12 (t = 230 nm)
x = 0.14 (t = 270 nm)
x = 0.16 (t = 140 nm)
x = 0.18 (t = 110 nm)
x = 0.20 (t = 90 nm)

x = 0.08
x = 0.15
x = 0.20
0.01
0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Temperature (K)

80

90

100

50

100

150

200

Temperature (K)
T. Ohashi, Master Thesis, The
university of Tokyo, pp. 41 (2005)

250

300

37
1000

2006/09/14: LSCO15% 060811_7.5minC_45sec

Without Fe
With Fe, 300nm

800
600
400

250

150

IcRN ~ 20mV

50

-200

Ic ~ 20 PA

-400

Jc ~ 15.4 kA/cm
RN ~ 1 k:
UN ~ 65m: -cm

-600
-800
-60

-40

-20

20

40

60

80

IcRN ~ 20mV

100

200

1500

1000

-50
-100

500

-150
-200

100

T @ 15.00K

-250
-100

-50

Voltage ( mV )

1k

2000

I
dV/dI

200

T @ 15.00K

-1000
-100 -80

2006/09/14: LSCO15% 060811_7.5minC_45sec

0
100

50

Voltage ( mV )

2006/09/14: LSCO15% 060811_7.5minC_45sec

2006/09/14: LSCO15% 060811_7.5minC_45sec

175

Without Fe
With Fe, 300nm

150

IC [1PV] ~ 120 PA

Without Fe
With Fe, 300nm

RN [Fe-LineB]
(1670 +/- 20) :

125
100

100

RN [NoFe]
(380 +/- 7) :

75
50

IC [1PV] ~ 18 PA

25

T @ 15.00K
10

1E-4

1E-3

0.01

0.1

Voltage ( mV )

10

100

T @ 15.00K

0
1000

-25

200

400

600

Current ( PA )

800

1000