Study of 200 MeV Ag ion irradiation effects on the oxygen stoichiometry of La-2125-type superconducting thin films using ERDA

Abstract

Effect of swift heavy ion irradiation on the modifications in structural and superconducting properties of La-based mixed oxide thin film superconductors with stoichiometric composition La2-xDy xCayBa2Cu4+yOz (y=2x; x=0.3 and 0.5) have been investigated using 200 MeVAg+15 ion irradiation. Superconducting thin films of x=0.3 and 0.5 samples synthesized using pulsed laser deposition technique on LaAlO3 substrate were irradiated with 200 MeV Ag ions. Elastic recoil detection analysis (ERDA) studies were performed on the thin films using 15 UD Pelletron facility at NSC, New Delhi, for the determination of the changes in oxygen content. Recoiled Ca, Cu and O atoms were detected using a large-area position sensitive ΔE-E detector telescope to understand the stoichiometric changes with the increase in irradiation dose. From the analysis of ERDA data, it is concluded that the oxygen content of the thin films remains constant and no stoichiometric changes are observed with increasing Ag ion irradiation dose ∼1012 ions/cm2. © 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.