Low-temperature preparation of diamondlike carbon film protective coatings for superconducting films

Abstract

We have studied the passivation of superconducting YBa2Cu3O7 (YBCO) films by diamond-like carbon (DLC) films using ion implantation and laser irradiation techniques. The experiment suggests that the surface layers of the YBCO films are covered by a DLC structure and critical temperature (Tc) measurements have confirmed the absence of any significant degradation after these treatments. The DLC layer successfully protects the superconducting films from environmental effect.