AFM plough YBCO micro bridges: substrate effects

Abstract

AFM nanolithography was used as a novel cutting technique to define micro-size YBCO superconducting constrictions. Researchers studied the substrate effects on MgO and STO substrates and showed that the observed Shapiro steps from the bridges on STO substrates are of poor quality when compared to those of MgO Substrates. This is because the STO substrate is microwave dirty and it is well known that the substrate has resonant microwave losses at low temperatures.