Progress in Superconductivity and Cryogenics (한국초전도ㆍ저온공학회논문지)

The Korean Society of Superconductivity and Cryogenics (한국초전도저온학회)
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Suppression of superconductivity in superconductor/ferromagnet multilayers

  • Hwang, T.J. (Yeungnam University) ;
  • Kim, D.H. (Yeungnam University)
  • Received : 2016.03.18
  • Accepted : 2016.03.22
  • Published : 2016.03.31
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Abstract

Suppression of the superconducting transition temperature ($T_c$) of NbN thin films in superconductor/ferromagnet multilayers has been investigated. Both superconducting NbN and ferromagnetic FeN layers were deposited on thermally oxidized Si substrate at room temperature by using reactive magnetron sputtering in an $Ar-N_2$ gas mixture. The thickness of FeN films was fixed at 20 nm, while the thickness of NbN films was varied from 3 nm to 90 nm. $T_c$ suppression was clearly observed in NbN layers up to 70 nm thickness when NbN layer was in proximity with FeN layer. For a given thickness of NbN layer, the magnitude of $T_c$ suppression was increased in the order of Si/FeN/NbN, Si/NbN/FeN, and Si/FeN/NbN/FeN structure. This result can be used to design a spin switch whose operation is based on the proximity effect between superconducting and ferromagnetic layers.

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References

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