Growth and properties of YBa2Cu3O7 thin films on vicinal and polycrystalline MgO substrates

Abstract
We discuss the results of a study on the growth by laser ablation of YBa2Cu3O7 thin films on polycrystalline and annealed vicinal (001) MgO substrates. In both instances the films were found to grow predominantly with the c axis normal to the plane of the substrate, regardless of the orientation of the MgO surface. In the case of the vicinal substrates the films were found to have superconducting properties comparable to those obtained with films grown on (001) oriented, annealed single‐crystal substrates.