High-Critical Temperature Superconducting Materials Technique

Phase I will develop a photothermal microscope to measure parameters of high-Tc superconducting materials. Critical temperature, differential optical losses, thermal resistance, optical response of the superconducting order parameter and off-diagonal components of the reflectivity matrix will be measured with the spatial resolution of an optical microscope. Measurement of these parameters allows for non-contact characterization of thin high-Tc films and single crystals both in basic research and technological applications. Together with a high spatial resolution, this creates a unique tool for evaluation of high-Tc materials and enables device fabrication. This photothermal microscope will become a standard instrument for basic research of high-Tc materials in universities and industrial laboratories.