Reversible laser chemically induced phase transformations in thin-film Ba2YCu3O<i>x</i> superconductors

Abstract

Phase transformations of a thin film of Ba2YCu3Ox were induced with a focused laser beam in chemical ambients. The transformations, involving superconductive and nonsuperconductive phases, are achieved rapidly and with a high degree of spatial control. They are fully reversible, and the appropriate processing parameters have been studied. These effects are interpreted within present models, which relate the superconducting properties of Ba2YCu3Ox to its oxygen content and crystalline structure.