The irradiation of high Tc superconducting thin films with a focused electron beam, such as that obtained in a scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM), can result in the formation of a Josephson junction. The conditions required for the formation of these Josephson junctions in YBa2Cu3O7-d and related compounds are discussed as well as the physical properties of the irradiated material. From electrical transport measurements of individual Josephson junctions it was found that these junctions have a Superconductor/Normal/Superconductor (SNS) nature. Low temperature anneal studies indicate that Josephson junctions with optimum properties can be obtained by a combination of a high electron dose and subsequent low temperature anneal. Extremely high electron doses resulted in the formation of a purely resistive region. The electrical transport in such regions with a dimension of 200 nm in the direction of current transport is shown to be compatible with variable range hopping (VRH). Barriers with the same length but a finite superconducting transition temperature showed a low bias resistance that is significantly lowered due to proximity coupling. Using purely resistive regions in combination with Josephson junctions, devices consisting of two closely spaced Josephson junctions with a third terminal connected to the shared electrode were fabricated and characterised (minimum separation 20 nm). The distinct behaviour of the Josephson critical current with applied magnetic field (Ic(B)) of these devices was found to be well described by a newly developed model, which incorporates the effect of the static redistribution current in the shared electrode on the phase distribution of the Josephson junctions. An important finding is that the behaviour of the high critical current with applied magnetic field of two closely spaced junctions was found to be consistent with a model system consisting of a closely spaced Josephson junction and a resistive barrier. A three terminal device with Josephson junctions at small separations was found to have a significantly increased trans resistance when compared with the individual resistance of the Josephson junctions it constituted of. A number of illustrative examples of device structures realised with the focused electron beam irradiation technique are also included.

For over a decade now there has been much research into the use of superconductors in X-ray, gamma ray and other particle detectors. Detectors based on superconductor-insulator-superconductor(SIS) and superconductor-insulator-normal metal(SIN) tunnel junctions have been widely developed. To date, the predicted excellent energy resolving ability of such detectors has not been realised. Various energy loss processes have been suggested as possible causes for the failure to obtain energy resolutions close to the thermodynamic and quantum limits predicted. In my experiments, I have used both SIS and SIN tunnel junctions to investigate the transport of quasiparticles and phonons in structures similar to the proposed detector designs. I have used multiple distributed junction geometries to perform injection-detection type experiments. One junction is used to inject quasiparticles and/or phonons into the device structure, whilst the current-voltage characteristic of a second junction is monitored for a response to the injected quasiparticles/phonons. Using this type of experimental set-up, I have measured the transport of non-thermal equilibrium quasiparticles in an epitaxial niobium film. Using a simple random walk model, I have calculated an effective lifetime for quasiparticles. I have not observed the process of quasiparticle mulitiplication that has been observed by other researchers - I attribute this to differences in the microstructure of my devices and comment on the implications of this to possible quasiparticle loss mechanisms. I have investigated the energy transport in a device with a number of SIN tunnel junctions connected to a common normal metal electrode. Phonon transport via the substrate is found to be the dominant coupling process between the tunnel junctions, although the device design can result in some junctions being effectively shielded from the substrate phonons by the common electrode. Finally, the possibilities of using a superconducting heterostructure to control the rate at which quasiparticles recombine and emit phonons have been explored. Excessive recombination is believed to limit the effectiveness of large areas SIN tunnel junctions as thermometers for particle detecting bolometers.

In this dissertation, the problem of calculating and measuring AC losses in superconducting coils is addressed, with a particular focus on the transport AC loss of coils for electric machines. In order to model the superconducting coil's electromagnetic properties and calculate the AC loss, an existing two dimensional (2D) finite element model that implements a set of equations known as the H formulation, which directly solves the magnetic field components in 2D, is extended to model a superconducting coil, where the cross-section of the coil is modelled as a 2D stack of superconducting coated conductors. The model is also modified to allow the nclusion of a magnetic substrate, which is present in some commercially available HTS wire. The analysis raises a number of interesting points regarding the use of superconductors with magnetic substrates. In particular, the presence of a magnetic substrate affects the penetration of the magnetic flux front within the coil and increases the magnetic flux density within the penetrated region, both of which can increase the AC loss significantly. In order to investigate these findings further, a comprehensive analysis on stacks of tapes with weak and strong magnetic substrates is carried out, using a symmetric model that requires only one quarter of the cross-section to be modelled. In order to validate the modelling results, an extensive experimental setup is designed and built to measure the transport AC loss of a superconducting coil using an electrical method based on inductive compensation by means of a variable mutual inductance. Measurements are carried out on the superconducting racetrack coil and it is found that the experimental results agree with the modelling results for low current, but some phase drift occurs for higher current, which affects the accuracy of the measurement. In order to overcome this problem, a number of improvements are made to the initial setup to improve the lock-in amplifier's phase setting and other aspects of the measurement technique. New measurements are carried out on a single, circular pancake coil and the discrepancies between the experimental and modelling results are described in terms of the assumptions made in the model and aspects of the coil that cannot be modelled. Using the original measured properties of the superconducting tape, there is an order of magnitude difference between the experiment and model. The properties of the superconductor can degrade during the winding and cooling processes, and a critical current measurement of the coil showed that the tape critical current reduced from nearly 300 A, down to around 100 A. Applying this finding to the model, the experimental and modelling results show good agreement, and the difference in the slope of the AC loss curve can be described in terms of the B-dependent critical current dependency Jc(B) used in the model. Finally, methods used to mitigate AC loss in superconducting wires and coils are summarised, and the use of weak and strong magnetic materials as a flux diverter is investigated as a technique to reduce AC loss in superconducting coils. This technique can achieve a significant reduction in AC loss and does not require modification to the conductor itself, which can be detrimental to the superconductor's properties.

Current transfer behaviour in anisotropic superconducting bodies is the central topic of this thesis and focuses on the effect that the nonlinearity of the electric field dependence upon the local current density value and anisotropy have on the nature of current transport. The main motivation for this work was the desire for a better understanding of the conceptually difficult behaviour of current transport in superconducting bodies and examines current transfer quantitatively for a number of important problems on the macroscopic and microscopic scale. This behaviour is examined both experimentally and using computer models. The successful development of a powerful, robust and adaptable numerical model for analysing the complex current transfer behaviour has been the primary aim of this work. The range of parameters appropriate to macroscopic models of the Bi-2212 CRT system has been experimentally examined using a specifically constructed apparatus for the measurement of current transport characteristics. A study of the self-field properties of the Bi-2212 CRT material using a new experimental technique and mathematical analysis is presented and has allowed the importance of the self-field effect in the numerical model to be assessed. An essential requirement for the practical application of high current superconducting devices is the development of low resistance current contacts. The research presented examines this macroscopic current transfer problem and aims to explain experimentally observed current transfer characteristics at high applied currents. Existing models cannot explain these characteristics. Current transfer on the microscopic scale is also examined. Models of current transfer have been developed from descriptions of specific microstructures that are thought to characterise the microstructure of Bi-2223 and Bi-2212 silver-sheathed tapes. This thesis specifically presents modelling of current transfer between c-axis, low-angle c-axis and edge-on c-axis tilt oriented grain interfaces; the principal current transfer paths between individual current elements of the microstructural models of current flow in polycrystalline HTSs.

Orientadores: Amir Ordacgi Caldeira, Newton Cesário Frateschi / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Física Gleb Wataghin / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-22T06:59:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Santos_FelipeGustavodaSilva_M.pdf: 5201395 bytes, checksum: aa675cbe9765e61acda958aff38d1a42 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013 / Resumo: Dispositivos baseados em junções Josephson tem desempenhado um papel importante tanto em ciências básicas quanto aplicadas. Neste trabalho, descrevemos a fabricação e caracterização DC de junções Josephson do tipo ScS (superconductor-constrição-supercondutor). Os dispositivos exibem uma característica VI que concorda com o bem conhecido modelo RSJ (resistência nula abaixo de uma corrente crítica mas constante e não nula acima dessa corrente) para temperaturas ~ 2 K. Para temperaturas um pouco maiores, observamos vários estados resistivos na curva VI, os quais são tipicamente atribuídos ao fluxo de vórtices de Abrikosov no interior da constrição. As medidas, porém, também sugerem que este pode não ser o caso nesses dispositivos devido à pequena magnitude do campo magnético autoinduzido na constrição, se comparado aos campos típicos que a levariam ao estado misto / Abstract: Josephson junction devices have played a role in fundamental and applied sciences. In this work, we report the fabrication and DC characterization of niobium Josephson junctions of the ScS (superconductor-constriction-superconductor) type. The devices exhibit a VI characteristic in accordance with the well known RSJ model (vanishing resistance below a critical current and constant nonzero resistance above it) for temperatures ~ 2 K. For slightly higher temperatures, we observe several resistive states in the VI curve which are usually attributed to the flow of Abrikosov vortices within the constriction. Our measurements, however, suggest that this might not be the case in these devices due to the smallness of the self-induced magnetic field in the constriction in comparison with the typical fields which drive it into the mixed state / Mestrado / Física / Mestre em Física

Orientador: Carlos Rettori / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Fisica Gleb Wataghin / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-04T01:45:05Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Urbano_RicardoRodrigues_D.pdf: 7003500 bytes, checksum: 302763535eafe1664ae875c23c64eaec (MD5) Previous issue date: 2004 / Resumo: Esta tese é o resultado da investigação de dois temas principais: o composto supercondutor MgB2 e o sistema semicondutor Ca1-xRxB6 dopado com terras raras R. O composto MgB2 é conhecido desde 1950, porém, só recentemente foi descoberto como sendo um supercondutor (tipo II) com uma temperatura crítica Tc @ 40 K. Esta descoberta realimentou o interesse nos materiais supercondutores não-óxidos, iniciando assim a procura por supercondutividade em vários outros compostos como, por exemplo, MgCNi3 e recentemente, diamante. A motivação do ponto de vista de Ressonância Paramagnética Eletrônica (RPE) se dá pela possibilidade de estudar o estado supercondutor misto numa ampla faixa de temperatura, via a ressonância dos elétrons de condução (CESR). Utilizando as freqüências de microondas de 4.1 GHz (banda S) e 9.5 GHz (banda X), o campo de ressonância (H r para g ~ 2:00) assume valores entre Hc1< Hr « Hirr £ Hc2 e, conseqüentemente, os elétrons de condução certamente estarão sondando a Distribuição de Campo Magnético Interno (DCMI) gerada pela rede de vórtices de MgB2. Com a atenção voltada às propriedades do estado misto deste supercondutor, apresentamos nesse trabalho a primeira, direta e não ambígua observação da DCMI, juntamente com o efeito de desancoramento da rede de linhas de fluxo. Determinamos a temperatura de desancoramento Tp (v), a qual separa o regime de movimento viscoso do regime de aprisionamento de vórtices. Também propomos um diagrama de fases supercondutor para a região de baixos campos magnéticos para nossa amostra estequiométrica. Comparativamente ao estudo do composto estequiométrico, estudamos amostras de Mg1-xB2(0 £ x £ 0.15). Para x ~ 0.15, encontramos a presença de duas linhas de ressonância, sugerindo uma possível segregação de fases. Além disso, a maior Tp encontrada, e o mais rápido alargamento e distorção da largura de linha do CESR no estado misto, comparados à amostra estequiométrica, são ambos consistentes com uma maior concentração de defeitos. Os hexaboretos RB6 (R = terra rara ou metais alcalinos terrosos) pertencem a uma classe de materiais que está sendo extensivamente estudada atualmente. Eles cristalizam numa rede cúbica simples tipo CsCl, e exibem um vasto universo de fascinantes propriedades físicas. Metais de bandas simples (LaB6), magnetos de momento local convencional (GdB6), sistemas de denso comportamento Kondo (CeB6) ou ainda ferromagnetismo (FM) de baixa densidade de portadores em sistemas com momentos localizados como EuB6, fazem parte deste grupo. Esta riqueza de fenômenos, combinada à simplicidade cristalográfica, torna os hexaboretos um sistema ideal para se estudar as propriedades magnéticas e eletrônicas destes compostos. Recentemente, foi encontrado que CaB6 dopado com impurezas de La 3+ (0.5%) exibe um FM (0.07 m B/La) em alta temperatura (Tc ~ 600 - 900 K), sem que os elementos constituintes tenham orbitais d ou f parcialmente preenchidos. Enorme esforço tanto teórico quanto experimental foi devotado para esclarecer esta intrigante propriedade, na tentativa de estabelecer a origem deste WF e seu relacionamento com a natureza condutora real de CaB6 dopado com R. Particularmente, encontramos em nosso estudo através da técnica de RPE em monocristais de CaB6 dopados com Gd 3+, que o processo de dopagem é não-homogêneo, apresentando diferentes regimes de concentração, inclusive coexistência de fases isolante e metálica. Este resultado sugere que uma abrupta mudança no ambiente local do Gd 3+ , associada à transição metal-isolante, pode estar ocorrendo. A configuração eletrônica de Eu 2+ é idêntica a do Gd 3+ (4f 7 , 8 S 7/2). No entanto, o efeito da dopagem de Gd 3+ e Eu 2+ em CaB6 é diferente: Eu 2+ tem a mesma valência de Ca 2+ enquanto Gd 3+ doa um elétron extra ao sistema, criando um estado doador tipo-hidrogênio. Acreditamos que a transição isolante/metal revelada pela forma de linha de RPE possa ser alcançada quando estes estados ligados de Gd doadores se sobrepõem e começam a formar uma rede percolativa. Desde que nem todos os sítios de Gd participam desta rede, uma coexistência de regiões metálicas e isolantes não é uma observação improvável, como observado em nossos resultados. De um outro lado, a substituição de Ca2+ por impurezas de Eu 2+ não produz um estado ligado doador, mas a invariância translacional quebrada da rede deve introduzir um estado localizado separado da banda de valência/condução. Supõe-se então que a dopagem de Eu 2+ forma uma banda de impurezas. No entanto, somente em um regime de muito alta concentração, estas impurezas formariam o estado percolativo, o que também encontra suporte em nossos resultados experimentais. Em contraste ao caso de CaB6, o composto EuB6 é um material semi-metálico bem estabelecido que apresenta um ordenamento FM em Tc » 15 K. Investigações das propriedades físicas de EuB6 foram realizadas essencialmente através de experimentos de RPE e de transporte. Nosso estudo mostrou que os comportamentos observados na largura de linha DH dos espectros de RPE, e na anisotropia da magneto-resistência, estão associados à presença de pólarons magnéticos e efeitos de superfície de Fermi, uma vez que esta última é de fato anisotrópica (elipsóides de revolução nos pontos X da Zona de Brillouin). Concluímos do estudo em Ca1-xRxB6 (R = Gd 3+ e Eu 2+ ) que, uma vez alcançado o estado percolativo (estado metálico), efeitos da anisotrópica superfície de Fermi podem ser observados através de DH, uma vez assumido que o processo de relaxação dominante é o mecanismo de espalhamento de spin eletrônico (spin-flip scattering). Para o caso particular de Eu 2+ em CaB6, efeitos polarônicos, a exemplo de EuB6, são também observados em DH / Abstract: This thesis results from the scientific investigation of two different systems: the MgB2 superconductor (SC) compound and the rare earth (R) doped Ca1-xRxB6 semiconductor material. The MgB2 compound is known since 1950, however, just recently discovered as a conventional (type II) SC with a critical temperature Tc @ 40 K. This discovery has revived the interest in non-oxides SC and initiated a search for superconductivity in related materials as, for exemple, MgCNi3. The motivation in the ESR point of view was the imprecedent possibility of studying the SC mixed-state in a wide temperature range by conduction electron spin resonance (CESR). Taking the 4.1 GHz (S band) and 9.5 GHz (X band) microwave frequencies, the resonance field (H r for g ~ 2:00) ranges between Hc1< Hr « Hirr £ Hc2 and, consequently, the conduction electrons will certainly probe the Internal Magnetic Field Distribution (IMFD) in the vortex lattice of MgB2. Focusing our attention on the properties of the mixed-state of this superconductor, we present in this work the first, direct and unambiguously observation of the IMFD together the flux line lattice depinning effects in MgB2. We have determined the depinning temperature Tp (v) which separates the viscous vortex motion regime to the pinning regime. Also, we have proposed a superconductor phase diagram for the low field region for our stoichiometric MgB2 sample. Comparatively to the stoichiometric sample study, we have studied Mg1-xB2 (0 £ x £ 0.15) samples. For x ~ 0.15, we found the presence of two resonance lines indicating phase segregation. Furthermore, the Tp found is higher than the obtained for the stoichiometric sample and, the CESR line width in the mixed-state presented a faster broadening when decreasing temperature, consistent with the larger defects concentration. Currently, the hexaboride compounds RB6 (R = earth rare or earth alcalines) belong to a material class which has been extensively studied. They crystallizes in a simple cubic lattice as CsCl, and show a wide variety of fascinating physical properties. Simple band metals (LaB6), conventional local moments magnets (GdB6), system with dense Kondo behavior (CeB6) or even low carrier density FM systems with local moments as EuB6, make part of this group. This richness of interesting physical properties, together with their simple crystallographic structure, make the hexaborides an ideal system to study. Recently, it was found that the La 3+ (0.5%) impurity doped CaB6 shows a WF (0.07 m B/La) in high temperature (Tc ~ 600 - 900 K) without the elements having half-filled d or f orbitals, which is usually required for FM. Enormous theoretical and experimental efforts have been devoted to clarify this intriguing property, in the sense to establish the origin of this WF and its relationship with the real conductive nature of the R doped CaB6. Particularly, we have found in our ESR study in single crystals of Gd 3+ doped CaB6 that the doping process is inhomogeneous, presenting different concentration regimes, including insulating and metallic phase coexistence. This result suggests that an abrupt change in the Gd 3+ local environment associated with the metal-insulator transition can be happening. The electronic configuration of Eu 2+ ions ( 8S7/2) is identical to that of the Gd 3+ ions. However, the effect of Gd 3+ and Eu 2+ doping in CaB6 is different: Eu 2+ has the same valence as Ca 2+ while Gd 3+ delivers an extra electron to the system, creating a hydrogen-like donor state. We believe that the insulator-metal transition revealed by the ESR line shape can be reached when these Gd donor bound states overlap and start to form a percolative network. Since not all Gd-sites participate in this network, a coexistence of metallic and insulating local environments are not impossible to be observed, as shown in our experimental results. In the other side, the substitution of Ca 2+ by Eu 2+ impurities does not yield a donor bound state, but the broken translational invariance of the lattice introduces a localized split-off state from the valence/conduction band. Then, it is supposed that an impurity band for Eu 2+ hen only forms at much higher concentrations as for Gd 3+ , as it is indeed observed experimentally. In contrast to the CaB6, the EuB6 compound is a well established semi-metallic material which presents a FM ordering at Tc » 15 K. Investigations of the physical properties of EuB6 were performed by ESR and transport experiments. Our study showed that the observed anisotropy and field-dependence of the ESR line width D H and of the magneto-resistence are associated with magnetic polarons and Fermi surface effects, since the latter is really anisotropic. We conclude in this study that, once reached the percolative state (metallic state), the anisotropic Fermi surface effects can be observed by the D H since the dominating relaxation process is the spin-flip scattering mechanism. For the particular case of Eu 2+ in CaB6, polaronic effects can be also observed in the D H, such as in EuB6 / Doutorado / Física / Doutor em Ciências

La prochaine génération d’instruments pour l'observation de la polarisation du fond diffus cosmologique est particulièrement exigeante en termes de nombre de détecteurs, de qualité de la mesure et d'efficacité de remplissage du plan focal. De plus, pour détecter les modes-B de polarisation provenant de l’inflation, il faut observer le ciel avec plusieurs bandes de fréquence afin de soustraire les avant-plans. Dans ce contexte, les détecteurs à inductance cinétique (KIDs) représentent une technologie très prometteuse en raison de leur grand facteur de multiplexage et de leur facilité de réalisation, tandis que le couplage avec une antenne peut fournir des solutions multi-bandes et double-polarisation dans un design compacte. Les KIDs à éléments localisés (LEKID) couplé à une antenne développé dans cette thèse sont sensibles à la polarisation avec deux sous-bandes à 140 GHz et 160 GHz chacune avec une bande passante de 10%. L'architecture proposée utilise une antenne à fente excitée par une ligne microruban et deux filtres passe-bande vers deux résonateurs. Ces derniers sont couplés capacitivement avec l'antenne et comprennent une ligne microruban en Aluminium comme absorbeur. Cette architecture est particulièrement simple à fabriquer, sans via et ne nécessite que de deux niveaux de métallisation. La transition ne nécessite aucun dépôt de diélectrique au-dessus du résonateur, évitant ainsi les limitations de toute source de bruit due au substrat non-monocristallin (TLS). En outre, la même technique de couplage peut être appliquée à de nombreux types d'antennes excitées par une ligne microruban, ce qui permet de s'adapter aux filtres passe-bande. / Next generation telescopes for observing the Cosmic Microwave Background are demanding in terms of number of detectors and focal plane area filling efficiency. Moreover, foreground reduction in B-Mode polarimetry requires sky observation with multiple frequency bands. In this context KIDs are promising technology because of their large multiplexing rate, while antenna coupling can provide multi-band and dual-polarization solutions in compact design. The proposed polarization sensitive antenna-coupled LEKID is operating at 140 GHz and 160 GHz with a bandwidth of almost 10% for each sub-band. The design involves a microstrip excited slot antenna and two open-stub band-pass filters to direct the signal toward two resonators. These are lumped elements capacitively coupled to the antenna and include an Aluminium strip as absorber. The architecture proposed is particularly simple to fabricate, via-less and only involves two metallization levels. The transition doesn't require any dielectric deposition above the resonator, thus preventing limitations from any source of noise due to non-monocrystalline substrate (TLS). Furthermore, the same coupling technique can be applied to many types of microstrip excited antennas, which allow to accommodate band-pass filters.

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(理学) / 甲第21546号 / 理博第4453号 / 新制||理||1639(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院理学研究科物理学・宇宙物理学専攻 / (主査)准教授 池田 隆介, 教授 前野 悦輝, 教授 川上 則雄 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Science / Kyoto University / DFAM

Malgré trente ans de recherche intensive sur les cuprates, l'origine de l'appariement des électrons dans leur état supraconducteur demeure un mystère. Probablement associé à cet appariement, on trouve dans leur diagramme (T, dopage) l'énigmatique phase pseudogap, responsable d'un grand nombre de propriétés exotiques dans l'état normal. Le débat autour de la nature de cette phase dans les cuprates dopés en trous a motivé le travail expérimental présenté ici. Nous nous intéressons plus spécifiquement au point critique à T = 0 noté p*. Pour étudier cette région du diagramme, nous travaillons d'un côté à l'obtention de monocristaux de cuprates surdopés, et de l'autre côté à des mesures de transport sur divers cuprates, soit dans des composés peu étudiés près de p*, soit en utilisant de nouvelles sondes pour l'étude du pseudogap. Nous faisons croître des monocristaux de HgBa ₂CuO₄₊δ par technique d'auto-flux, puis modifions leur dopage ainsi que celui de cristaux de Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O₈₊δ à l'aide de traitements thermiques sous atmosphère contrôlée. La première étude en transport porte sur la résistivité linéaire en T à T → 0, caractéristique d'un métal étrange, à p ≥ p*. Nous mesurons la résistivité en champ magnétique intense d'un échantillon Bi2212 à p ≥ p*, révélant également ce phénomène. Nous étudions la pente de la résistivité et la comparons dans différents cuprates dopés en trous et en électrons, mettant en évidence que le taux de diffusion correspond à la limite Planckienne (ħ/τ = kBT) dans les cuprates. La seconde étude porte sur la transformation subie par la surface de Fermi en traversant p*. Nous établissons pour la première fois la magnétorésistance en angle à des dopages autour de p*, dans La₁.₆-ₓNd₀.₄SrₓCuO₄ en champ magnétique intense, qui devrait mener à terme à de nouvelles informations sur la transformation de la surface de Fermi. La troisième étude porte sur la nature de la phase pseudogap pour p ≤ p*, jusqu'aux faibles dopages. Une étude de l'effet Hall thermique dans une large gamme de dopages (jusqu'à p = 0) et dans quatre cuprates différents permet de révéler une nouvelle signature du pseudogap, d'origine magnétique. / Despite thirty years of intense research on cuprates, the origin of the electronic pairing in the superconducting state of these materials remains a mystery. Probably linked to this pairing, we find in their (T, doping) diagram the enigmatic pseudogap phase, responsible for a great number of exotic properties in the normal state. The debate about the nature of this phase in the hole-doped cuprates motivated the experimental work presented here. More specifically, we are interested in the T = 0 critical point p*. In order to study this region of the phase diagram, we work, on one hand, on obtaining single crystals of overdoped cuprates and, on the other hand, on transport measurements in several cuprates, either in little-studied compounds near p*, or by using new probes to study the pseudogap. We grow single crystals of HgBa ₂CuO₄₊δ with a self-flux technique, then modify the doping of these crystals along with Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O₈₊δ crystals thanks to thermal treatments under controlled atmosphere. The first transport study focus on the T-linear resistivity at T → 0, characteristic of a strange metal, at p ≥ p*. We measure the resistivity in high magnetic field of a Bi2212 sample at p ≥ p*, revealing again this phenomenon. We study the slope of this resistivity and compare it in different hole-doped and electron-doped cuprates, highlighting that the diffusion rate corresponds to the Planckian limit (ħ/τ = kBT) in cuprates. The second study focus on the Fermi surface transformation across p*. We establish for the first time the angle-dependent magnetoresistance across p*, in La₁.₆-ₓNd₀.₄SrₓCuO₄ in high magnetic field, which should lead eventually to new information about the transformation of the Fermi surface. The third study focus on the nature of the pseudogap phase at p ≤ p*, down to low dopings. A study of the Hall effect in a large doping range (down to p = 0) and in four different cuprates allows us to unveil a new signature of the pseudogap, involving magnetism.

Orientador: Rafael Zadorosny / Resumo: Os materiais supercondutores são extremamente promissores a novas aplicações. Podemos encontrar diversos estudos sobre o supercondutor YBCO, porém o tratamento térmico para a formação da fase YBa2Cu3O7-δ (Y123) na forma de nanofibras ainda não é bem definido na literatura. Para estudar de forma sistemática essa questão, e definir uma boa rota de tratamento térmico, fios com diâmetros em torno de 300 nm foram obtidos por Solution Blow Spinning (SBS) a partir de uma solução contendo acetatos metálicos de ítrio, bário e cobre, polímero PVP (polivinilpirrolidona), ácidos acético e propiônico, e metanol. Os fios poliméricos foram submetidos a um tratamento térmico para obtenção da fase Y123. Este tratamento foi dividido em duas partes, a primeira variando a temperatura máxima de sinterização (850°C, 875°C, 900°C e 925°C) por 1 hora. E a segunda variando o tempo em que as fibras ficaram submetidas à temperatura de 925°C (10 min, 30 min, 1h, 3h e 6h). Para analisar a influência da temperatura e do tempo de sinterização foram utilizados Microscopia Eletrônica de Varredura (MEV), Difração de raios-X (DRX) e Magnetometria AC. As análises de DRX indicaram a presença do YBa2Cu3O7-δ em todas as amostras, porém, com fases secundárias. As medidas de susceptibilidade magnética revelaram influência da temperatura de sinterização na blindagem magnética da amostra, indicando que as amostras tratadas a 925°C/1h obtiveram a melhor resposta magnética. Sendo assim, o melhor tratamento térmico foi o... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Although the production of YBa2Cu3O7-δ (Y123) has been extensively reported in the literature, there is still a lack of information concerning the ideal heat-treatment routes applied to Y123 nanowires. Thus, wires with diameters around 300 nm were prepared by Solution Blow Spinning (SBS) from a solution containing yttrium, barium and copper metal acetates, PVP polymer (polyvinylpyrrolidone), acetic and propionic acids, and methanol. The resulting polymer wires were heat-treated to obtain the Y123 ceramic phase. Those treatments were divided into two parts: in the first one, which lasted 1 hour, the maximum sintering temperature was changed (850°C, 875°C, 900°C, and 925°C); in the second one, the time of the plateau at 925°C was altered (10 min, 30 min, 1h, 3h, and 6h). The structural characterization was carried out by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and AC Magnetometry. SEM images revealed that all samples yielded wires with an average diameter ranging from 241 nm to 376 nm. XRD analysis indicated the presence of the secondary phase BaCuO2 in all samples, as well as the phase Y123. Magnetic measurements corroborate the other characterizations, and indicate the sample sintered at 925 °C/1h as the one giving the highest magnetic response. / Mestre