We have studied the magnetic interference of the critical currents of synthetic planar thin-film grain-boundary Josephson junctions. We find that the effective area of these junctions scales as the square of the width w in contrast to the usual w(2λ+d) dependence of sandwich-type Josephson junctions. This behavior is a simple consequence of the magnetic response of thin-film superconductors to perpendicular applied fields. A model based on the London theory yields the observed behavior. In addition, we find the correction to the interference pattern due to the effect of the corners.

Planar superconducting resonators are now being increasingly used at mK temperatures in a number of novel applications. They are also interesting devices in their own right since they allow us to probe the properties of both the superconductor and its environment. We have experimentally investigated three types of niobium resonators -including a lumped element design -fabricated on sapphire and SiO2/Si substrates. They all exhibit a non-trivial temperature dependence of their centre frequency and quality factor. Our results shed new light on the interaction between the electromagnetic waves in the resonator and two-level fluctuators in the substrate.

We describe measurements on microwave coplanar resonators designed for quantum bit experiments. Resonators have been patterned onto sapphire and silicon substrates, and quality factors in excess of a million have been observed. The resonant frequency shows a high sensitivity to magnetic field applied perpendicular to the plane of the film, with a quadratic dependence for the fundamental, second and third harmonics. Frequency shift of hundreds of linewidths can be obtained.

No abstract

We have developed a new way of making grain boundary junctions in YBa2Cu3O7 thin films by controlling the in-plane epitaxy of the deposited film using seed and buffer layers. We produce 45° grain boundaries along photolithographically defined lines. The typical value of the critical current density of the junctions is 103–104 A/cm2 at 4.2 K and 102–103 A/cm2 at 77 K, while the rest of the film has a critical current density of 1–3×106 A/cm2 at 77 K. The current-voltage characteristics of the junctions show resistively shunted junction behavior and we have used them to fabricate dc superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) which show modulation at temperatures well above 77 K. This is the first planar high Tc Josephson junction technology that appears readily extendable to high Tc integrated circuits.