Superconductivity in transparent amorphous indium tin oxide films deposited by RF magnetron sputtering

Integrating superconductivity with high optical transparency is critical for advancing quantum technologies, yet remains fundamentally challenging due to photon damping at conventional superconductor interfaces. Here, we report the integrated circuit process compatible and scalable fabrication of transparent superconducting tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) thin films by RF magnetron sputtering without post-treatment. Combining Aslamazov-Larkin fluctuation theory and Ginzburg-Landau analysis, a superconducting transition temperature T<sub>c</sub> of 1.43 K and the zero-temperature coherence length of 18.14 nm are determined. The two-dimensional nature of superconductivity is corroborated by a Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless transition near 0.8 K. These ITO films exhibit high transmittance across visible and near-infrared wavelengths, meeting the demands of quantum photonic applications. Comparative magneto-transport studies reveal that disorder suppresses electron-phonon coupling, thereby reducing T<sub>c</sub> or even quenching superconductivity, while superconductivity itself suppresses weak localization (WL) signatures. Based on these observations, we propose a four-stage model describing the evolution from a normal metallic state to a phase-coherent superconducting phase through an interactive regime and a pre-pairing fluctuation regime. This work provides a simple and easy growth method for transparent ITO superconducting films and paves the way of exploring transparent superconductor for promising quantum material platforms.

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Publication Details

Journal
Scientific Reports
Published
2025-10-24
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-21316-8
Citations
1
Primary Topic
Thin-Film Transistor Technologies
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.73

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article

Superconductivity in transparent amorphous indium tin oxide films deposited by RF magnetron sputtering

Xinzuo Sun, Chao Zhang, Xijun Li, Kang Wang et al.
1 citations
Scientific Reports
Thin-Film Transistor Technologies
0.73
article

Superconductivity in transparent amorphous indium tin oxide films deposited by RF magnetron sputtering

Xinzuo Sun, Chao Zhang, Xijun Li, Kang Wang, Chunyan Song, Ranran Li
article en
1 citations

Abstract

Integrating superconductivity with high optical transparency is critical for advancing quantum technologies, yet remains fundamentally challenging due to photon damping at conventional superconductor interfaces. Here, we report the integrated circuit process compatible and scalable fabrication of transparent superconducting tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) thin films by RF magnetron sputtering without post-treatment. Combining Aslamazov-Larkin fluctuation theory and Ginzburg-Landau analysis, a superconducting transition temperature T<sub>c</sub> of 1.43 K and the zero-temperature coherence length of 18.14 nm are determined. The two-dimensional nature of superconductivity is corroborated by a Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless transition near 0.8 K. These ITO films exhibit high transmittance across visible and near-infrared wavelengths, meeting the demands of quantum photonic applications. Comparative magneto-transport studies reveal that disorder suppresses electron-phonon coupling, thereby reducing T<sub>c</sub> or even quenching superconductivity, while superconductivity itself suppresses weak localization (WL) signatures. Based on these observations, we propose a four-stage model describing the evolution from a normal metallic state to a phase-coherent superconducting phase through an interactive regime and a pre-pairing fluctuation regime. This work provides a simple and easy growth method for transparent ITO superconducting films and paves the way of exploring transparent superconductor for promising quantum material platforms.

Scientific ReportsVol. 15(1)
Westlake University (CN)
Westlake University
Openalex Percentile: Top 22%
Thin-Film Transistor Technologies
0.73
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Superconductivity in transparent amorphous indium tin oxide films deposited by RF magnetron sputtering — Xinzuo Sun, Chao Zhang, et al. · Scientific Reports (2025) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS