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Thin superconducting film characterization by surface acoustic waves. Annual progress report, 30 September 1985-30 September 1986

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:7156007
Surface-acoustic-wave attenuation (SAW) and electrical resistivity on In/InO films was measured. On one film it was found that both vortex-=antivortex dipoles associated with a Kosterlitz-Thouless transition and excess local resistivity associated with granularity of the film contribute to the energy absorption in the film. On another film, with a high sheet resistivity, a peak in attenuation is observed which may be associated with a metal-insulator transition at the local level. A technique for determining average grain size in a granular superconductor has been proposed. Proximity acousto-electric coupling to a granular A1 superconducting film was demonstrated. This technique may be used to determine the separation between two surfaces that are less than 1000A apart. Measurement on the Er(1-x)Ho(x)Rh/sub 4/B/sub 4/ alloy system were completed. A theoretical relaxation expression has been derived and is being used to analyze the maxima that have been observed in the attenuation curves. Preliminary measurements of both the attenuation and velocity of longitudinal waves in a single crystal of URu/sub 2/Si/sub 2/ have been performed.
Research Organization:
Wisconsin Univ., Milwaukee (USA). Dept. of Physics
OSTI ID:
7156007
Report Number(s):
AD-A-174904/3/XAB
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English