NanoSQUIDs from YBa2Cu3O7/SrTiO3 superlattices with bicrystal grain boundary Josephson junctions

Abstract

We report on the fabrication and characterization of nanopatterned dc SQUIDs with grain boundary Josephson junctions based on heteroepitaxially grown YBa₂Cu₃O₇ (YBCO)/SiTrO₃ (STO) superlattices on STO bicrystal substrates. Nanopatterning is performed by Ga focused-ion-beam milling. The electric transport properties and thermal white flux noise of superlattice nanoSQUIDs are comparable to single layer YBCO devices on STO bicrystals. However, we find that the superlattice nanoSQUIDs have more than an order of magnitude smaller low-frequency excess flux noise, with root-mean-square spectral density at 1 Hz (Φ₀ is the magnetic flux quantum). We attribute this improvement to an improved microstructure at the grain boundaries forming the Josephson junctions in our YBCO nanoSQUDs.