Infrared pulses (1.06 μm wavelength, ≊150 ps long) from a Nd:YAG laser illuminated a superconducting YBa2Cu3O7 granular film, 0.7 μm thick. This caused the film to switch from the superconducting to the normal (resistive) state in less than 2 ns, followed by a much slower recovery ∼1 μs. The initial fast switching may be explained by nonequilibrium hot-electron energy transfer from the top absorbing layer (≊100 nm thick) through the film, followed by an essentially bolometric response and cooldown via equilibrium thermal conduction out of the film.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.