Fabrication and characterisation of high-temperature superconducting nanobridges using a thermal scanning probe
In this letter, we demonstrate for the first time the creation of superconducting weak link nanojunctions using a thermal scanning probe to directly create nano-constrictions into YBa2Cu3O7-δ (YBCO) thin film microbridges. Our method effectively reduces the critical current (I_c) over an order of magnitude. The resulting nanobridges exhibit transport and magnetic-field dependence that are consistent with weak-link behavior, suggestive of Josephson-like nanojunctions. This approach provides a novel and flexible method for scaling up quantum mechanical circuits that operate at liquid nitrogen temperatures. Additionally, it offers a promising pathway for modifying properties of the junctions in-situ and post fabrication.
Authors
- He Zhu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5157-8457)
- S. K. H. Lam (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3320-5128)
- Jia Du (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8111-9588)
- Avi Bendavid (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2454-9714)
- E.E. Mitchell (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0137-793X)
- Ngoc My Hanh Duong (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1149-6342)
- Ting Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6436-125X)
- A. R. Ullah (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3019-8084)
- Amanuel Berhane
- David William Mitchell (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-8308-4948)
Institutions
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (AU)
- Division of Materials Science and Engineering (AU)
- CSIRO Manufacturing (AU)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Journal of Physics Condensed Matter
- Published
- 2026-08-27
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-648x/ae9fa9
- Primary Topic
- Physics of Superconductivity and Magnetism
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00