Growth of NdBa₂Cu₃O_7-y single crystal thin films by tri-phase epitaxy

We report on the successful fabrication of single crystal thin films of NdBa₂Cu₃O_7-y (Nd123) using the tri-phase epitaxy (TPE) approach. This method is based on application of pulsed laser deposition under appropriate compositions and conditions predetermined from the relevant thermodynamic phase diagram. Thermodynamic equilibrium is maintained while maintaining intrinsic stoichiometry control offered by the pulsed laser deposition technique. Uniform atomically smooth single crystalline nature of film was verified by combined characterization methods of X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Here we report on the conceptual details of TPE process as well as on the characterization of the Nd123 thin films.