Effect of colossal magnetoresistance material La_(0.67)Ca_(0.33)MnO_3 on superconducting properties of YBa_2Cu_3O_(7-δ) thin films

摘要

By specific design of the sample, in which SrTiO3 substrate is fully covered by a thin layer of the colossal magnetoresistive material La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 (LCMO) and the latter is partially covered by high-temperature superconductor YBa2Cu3O7-delta (YBCO), and by using multiple current and voltage contacts, direct evidence of the strong effect of LCMO on YBCO is obtained. It is found that LCMO strongly influences not only superconducting, but also normal state of YBCO, and it is argued that this is a consequence of the spin injection from the former to the latter. The effect of the deposition conditions and crystal orientation of YBCO layer on this effect is clarified. A surprising peak in the temperature dependence of resistance seen in ex-situ ab-plane oriented sample is explained as a combination of two effects: influence of spin-polarized electrons on superconductor below its critical temperature and the interface-controlled shift of Curie temperature of LCMO to low temperatures. Considering expected use of LCMO and YBCO in composite quantum computation circuits, their combination with another advanced quantum material, graphene, is explored.