Superconducting YBa2Cu3O7−x thin films on polycrystalline ferrite for magnetically tunable microwave components

Superconducting YBa2Cu3O7−x (YBCO) thin films with a surface resistance of 0.86 mΩ at 10 GHz and 76 K have been grown on polycrystalline ferrite yttrium iron garnet (YIG) substrates. The chemical and structural mismatches between YBCO and YIG are solved by using a double buffer layer of biaxially oriented yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) and CeO2, where YSZ is deposited by an ion-beam-assisted-deposition technique. The YBCO films are c axis oriented with an in-plane mosaic spread [full width at half maximum of an x-ray φ-scan on (103) reflection] of less than 8°. The films have a superconductive transition temperature above 88 K with a transition width less than 0.3 K, giving a critical current density above 106 A/cm2 in self field at 75 K. At 75 K in an external magnetic field of 1 T perpendicular to the film surface, the films maintain a critical current density over 2×105 A/cm2.