YBa₂Cu₃O₇ as a high-temperature superinductor

Area of Science:

• Condensed Matter Physics
• Superconductivity
• Materials Science

Background:

• Type-II superconductors exhibit magnetic behavior explained by quantum vortices.
• In thin films (thickness t < London penetration depth λ_L), Pearl vortices dominate, with a 1/r² field decay extending to the Pearl length (P_L).
• The impact of Pearl vortices on kinetic inductance enhancement remained underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of Pearl vortices on kinetic inductance in superconducting thin films.
• To explore the potential for enhanced superinductance at the Pearl length scale.
• To demonstrate novel applications in electronic, photonic, and quantum devices.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of ultrathin metamaterial resonators using high-transition-temperature (T_c) YBCO superconductor thin films.
• Characterization of the magnetic and electrical properties of the resonators.
• Analysis of vortex screening supercurrents and kinetic inductance.

Main Results:

• Discovery of Pearl inductance, a novel form of kinetic inductance.
• Observed extension of vortex screening supercurrents from λ_L to 14λ_L in ultrathin films (thickness λ_L/7).
• Achieved terahertz superinductance with device impedance exceeding the quantum resistance limit (R_Q) by 33%.

Conclusions:

• Pearl inductance significantly enhances kinetic inductance in superconducting thin films.
• This effect enables unprecedented superinductance at the terahertz frequency range.
• The findings pave the way for advanced electronic, photonic, and quantum technologies.