Tailoring the properties of YBa2Cu3O7−δ thin films by 30-keV He+ irradiation: An enabling route to superconducting device nanopatterning
Abstract
Focused helium ion beam (He-FIB) irradiation with 30-keV ions is a key tool for nanoscale patterning and defect engineering in high transition temperature (Tc) cuprate superconducting devices, yet its usable fluence window is constrained by the competing requirements of reliable superconductivity suppression and minimal structural degradation. In this work, we provide a comprehensive dataset on the effects of large-area 30-keV He+ ion exposure on the electric transport and superconducting properties of epitaxial YBa2Cu3O7 (YBCO) thin films. X-ray diffraction shows a fluence-driven loss of crystalline order accompanied by an out-of-plane lattice expansion and an orthorhombic-to-tetragonal transition, culminating in predominant amorphization at the highest fluence of 1 x 10^16 cm^-2. Raman spectra exhibit increasing disorder while lacking signatures of oxygen depletion, indicating that irradiation mainly generates oxygen-related Frenkel defects rather than changing the carrier concentration. Consistently, with increasing fluence, the normal-state resistivity ρ_N(T) at temperature T above Tc increases strongly, while d ρ_N/d T remains nearly unchanged at moderate fluence. The suppression of Tc is accurately described by Abrikosov-Gor'kov pair breaking and reaches complete quenching of superconductivity at 4.5 x 10^15 cm^-2. The anisotropic upper critical fields decrease approximately exponentially with increasing fluence, the vortex activation energy is reduced, and the anisotropy drops, in contrast to oxygen-depleted YBCO. Hall-angle analysis confirms a nearly constant carrier density but a systematic increase in defect scattering and reduced mobility, consistent with a crossover toward the dirty limit at high fluence. These results establish quantitative fluence thresholds and a practical operational window for He-FIB nanopatterning of YBCO quantum circuits.
Versions
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BibTeX
@misc{aichner2026tailoring,
title = {{Tailoring the properties of YBa$_2$Cu$_3$O$_7-δ$ thin films by 30-keV He$^+$ irradiation: An enabling route to superconducting device nanopatterning}},
author = {Bernd Aichner and Simon Koch and Philipp A. Korner and Max Karrer and Katja Wurster and Christoph Schmid and Ulrich Kentsch and Reinhold Kleiner and Edward Goldobin and Dieter Koelle and Wolfgang Lang},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2606.14588},
eprint = {2606.14588},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2606.14588},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Tailoring the properties of YBa_2Cu_3O_7−δ thin films by 30-keV He^+ irradiation: An enabling route to superconducting device nanopatterning
AU - Bernd Aichner
AU - Simon Koch
AU - Philipp A. Korner
AU - Max Karrer
AU - Katja Wurster
AU - Christoph Schmid
AU - Ulrich Kentsch
AU - Reinhold Kleiner
AU - Edward Goldobin
AU - Dieter Koelle
AU - Wolfgang Lang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/29
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2606.14588
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2606.14588
AB - Focused helium ion beam (He-FIB) irradiation with 30-keV ions is a key tool for nanoscale patterning and defect engineering in high transition temperature (Tc) cuprate superconducting devices, yet its usable fluence window is constrained by the competing requirements of reliable superconductivity suppression and minimal structural degradation. In this work, we provide a comprehensive dataset on the effects of large-area 30-keV He+ ion exposure on the electric transport and superconducting properties of epitaxial YBa2Cu3O7 (YBCO) thin films. X-ray diffraction shows a fluence-driven loss of crystalline order accompanied by an out-of-plane lattice expansion and an orthorhombic-to-tetragonal transition, culminating in predominant amorphization at the highest fluence of 1 x 10^16 cm^-2. Raman spectra exhibit increasing disorder while lacking signatures of oxygen depletion, indicating that irradiation mainly generates oxygen-related Frenkel defects rather than changing the carrier concentration. Consistently, with increasing fluence, the normal-state resistivity ρ_N(T) at temperature T above Tc increases strongly, while d ρ_N/d T remains nearly unchanged at moderate fluence. The suppression of Tc is accurately described by Abrikosov-Gor'kov pair breaking and reaches complete quenching of superconductivity at 4.5 x 10^15 cm^-2. The anisotropic upper critical fields decrease approximately exponentially with increasing fluence, the vortex activation energy is reduced, and the anisotropy drops, in contrast to oxygen-depleted YBCO. Hall-angle analysis confirms a nearly constant carrier density but a systematic increase in defect scattering and reduced mobility, consistent with a crossover toward the dirty limit at high fluence. These results establish quantitative fluence thresholds and a practical operational window for He-FIB nanopatterning of YBCO quantum circuits.
ER -