Long, Highly-Ordered High-Temperature Superconductor Nanowire Arrays

The preparation and electrical properties of high-temperature superconductor nanowire arrays are reported for the first time. YBa2Cu3O(7-delta) nanowires with widths as small as 10 nm (much smaller than the magnetic penetration depth) and lengths up to 200 microm are studied by four-point electrical measurements. All nanowires exhibit a superconducting transition above liquid nitrogen temperature and a transition temperature width that depends strongly upon the nanowire dimensions. Nanowire size effects are systematically studied, and the results are modeled satisfactorily using phase-slip theories that generate reasonable parameters. These nanowires can function as superconducting nanoelectronic components over much wider temperature ranges as compared to conventional superconductor nanowires.