Optimisation of pulsed laser deposited Ba1-xKxBiO3 thin films with tunable superconducting properties by control of K doping level, x

Abstract

The mid-T_C superconductor Ba_1-XK_XBiO₃ (BKBO) exhibits different superconducting mechanisms depending on x, in the range ∼ 0.35–0.65. The optimal doping for the highest T_C is reported to be around x  = 0.4. To understand more about the dependence of the superconducting mechanism on x, high quality and reproducible epitaxial films with controlled x are needed. This has been challenging owing to the volatility of K and (to a lesser extent) Bi. In this work, we use pulsed laser deposition (PLD) with several novel process steps to achieve high-quality films in a reproducible way. These include a modified method for target preparation, a low NO₂ growth pressure, and precise positioning of substrates in the PLD plume. Optimum T_C films (32 K onset) were grown from an x  = 0.4 target, i.e. with no excess K, as is normally used. Stable, higher K content films (made from an x = 0.45 target), were also grown. These x = 0.45 films had a lower T_C (22.5 K onset), as expected for (K) overdoped films, with very high upper critical field, H_C2 (0 K), and irreversibility field, H_irr (0 K), values, from linear extrapolation, of ∼ 31.7 T and ∼ 28.8 T, respectively. The growth methodology demonstrated in this work is highly beneficial for fundamental mechanistic studies of this complex superconductor on which there is renewed interest, and where controlled compositions and crystalline quality are currently limited.