Fluctuation conductivity in Y-Ba-Cu-O films with artificially produced defects

Abstract

The fluctuation-induced conductivity (paraconductivity) measured in YBa₂Cu₃O₇₋d (YBCO) films grown on 10° miscut SrTiO₃ (001) substrates is analyzed using various theoretical models describing weak fluctuations in high-Tc superconductors and considering both Aslamazov-Larkin and Maki-Thompson fluctuation contributions in the clean limit approach. The analysis reveals a highly anisotropic pair-breaking caused by structural defects produced. This result is in favor of an idea that pseudogap in high-Tc oxydes is mainly governed by the fluctuating pairing.