Small size mesa structures on Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ single crystals

Abstract We patterned small size mesa structures on top of single crystals of the high temperature superconductor Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8+δ using a combination of photolithography and electron beam lithography. The mesas consisted typically of 4–12 intrinsic Josephson junctions formed between adjacent CuO 2 double layers. The smallest lateral mesa size was 1 μm. We discuss the electrical properties of these stacks including current-voltage characteristics and critical current vs. external magnetic fields applied parallel to the layers.