Ferroelectric/superconductor PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3/Y1Ba2Cu3O7−x/LaAlO3 heterostructure prepared by Nd:YAG pulsed laser deposition

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Abstract
Ferroelectric/superconductor PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3/Y1Ba2 Cu3O7−x heterostructures have been grown on single‐crystal LaAlO3 in a Nd:YAG pulsed laser deposition system. The cuprate superconductor is used as the metallic electrode for polarizing the lead zirconate titanate (PZT) layer. X‐ray diffraction and rocking curve data evidence almost epitaxial growth of both the PZT (≊4500 Å) and the (YBCO) (≊2500 Å) layers on LaAlO3 substrates. Ferroelectric measurements yield remnant polarization values (at 177 kV/cm) of 29 μC/cm2, and coercive fields in the range of 70–85 kV/cm. The electrical resistivity of the PZT layer is determined to be 5×108 Ω cm. The electrical resistivity data for the YBCO underlayer even in the presence of the PZT overlayer yields Tc=89.5 K with a transition width of δT=1 K. In summary, excellent characteristics of coexisting superconducting and ferroelectric properties have been achieved in laser deposited PZT/YBCO/LaAlO3 heterostructures. As far as we know this is the first time such a result has been obtained by using a Nd:YAG pulsed laser deposition technique.