Anisotropy by design in superconducting Nb thin films via ultrashort-pulse laser irradiation

Frechilla, Javier (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Lejeune, Nicolas ; Martínez, Elena ; Fourneau, Emile ; Frechilla, Alejandro (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Martín, Sergio ; Cadorim, Leonardo R. ; Angurel, Luis A. (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; de la Fuente, Germán F. ; Silhanek, Alejandro V. ; Miloševic, Milorad V. ; Badía-Majós, Antonio (Universidad de Zaragoza)

Resumen: The ability to fabricate anisotropic superconducting layers & agrave; la carte is desired in technologies such as fluxon screening or removal in field-resilient devices, flux lensing in ultra-sensitive sensors, or in templates for imprinting magnetic structures in hybrid magnetic/superconducting multilayers. In this work, laser processing is qualified as an enabling technology in the controllable fabrication of superconducting metasurfaces. Niobium thin films exposed to femtosecond ultraviolet laser pulses exhibit significant changes in their superconducting properties, directly connected with the observed surface topography, crystallite geometry, and lattice parameter modifications. On the mesoscopic scale, quasi-parallel periodic ripple structures (about 260 nm of spatial period) gradually form on the film surface by progressively increasing the laser energy per pulse, Ep. This gives way to a stepwise increase of the critical current anisotropy and magnetic flux channeling effects along the ripples. As demonstrated in our resistive and inductive measurements, these superstructures determine the electromagnetic response of the superconducting material. Time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau simulations corroborate the topographical origin of the customized anisotropy. Pulsed laser processing is promoted as a flexible, one-step, and scalable lithography-free technique for versatile surface functionalization in microelectronic superconducting technology.

Idioma: Inglés

DOI: 10.1016/j.surfin.2026.109028

Año: 2026

Publicado en: Surfaces and Interfaces 87 (2026), 109028 [13 pp.]
ISSN: 2468-0230

Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/EUR/COST-Action/CA21144-SUPERQUMAP
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/DGA/T54-23R
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MICINN/AEI/PID2020-113034RB-I00
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MICIU/PID2023-146041OBC21

Tipo y forma: Article (Published version)

Área (Departamento): Área Ing. Procesos Fabricación (Dpto. Ingeniería Diseño Fabri.)
Área (Departamento): Área Cienc.Mater. Ingen.Metal. (Dpto. Ciencia Tecnol.Mater.Fl.)
Área (Departamento): Área Física Materia Condensada (Dpto. Física Materia Condensa.)