Local insulator-to-superconductor transition in amorphous InO${}_x$ films modulated by e-beam irradiation

Abstract

We present a novel method enabling precise post-fabrication modulation of the electrical resistance in micrometer-scale regions of amorphous indium oxide (a-InO${}_x$) films. By subjecting initially insulating films to an electron beam at room temperature, we demonstrate that the exposed region of the films becomes superconducting. The resultant superconducting transition temperature ($T_c$) is adjustable up to 2.8 K by changing the electron dose and accelerating voltage. This technique offers a compelling alternative to traditional a-InO${}_x$ annealing methods for both fundamental investigations and practical applications. Moreover, it empowers independent adjustment of electrical properties across initially identical a-InO${}_x$ samples on the same substrate, facilitating the creation of superconducting microstructures with precise $T_c$ control at the micrometer scale. Some possible mechanisms for the observed resistance modifications are discussed.

11 pages, 6 figures

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• Localization of interacting fermions at high temperature
• Quantum breakdown of superconductivity in low-dimensional materials
• Compositional disorder and tranport peculiarities in the amorphous indium-oxides
• High field termination of a Cooper-pair insulator
• Slow Dynamics of the Electron-Glasses; the Role of Disorder
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Cited by in corpus (1)

• Study of Magnetic Field Resilient High Impedance High-Kinetic Inductance Superconducting Resonators