Nonresonant microwave absorption studies of surface passivation of superconducting YBa<inf>2</inf>Cu<inf>3</inf>O<inf>7-δ</inf> thin films

The surfaces of laser ablated thin films of YBa2Cu3O7-δ have been passivated with about 100 Å thick textured layer of Ca0.95Sr0.025Ba0.025Zr0.98Ta 0.01Ti0.01O3. It is shown that this low loss dielectric material preserves the quality of the surface and also prolongs the aging process. The films (both passivated and as-deposited) have been studied for degradation on exposure to atmosphere and also on dipping directly in water. The technique of nonresonant microwave absorption is used to study the effects and extent of degradation in these films.© 1995 American Institute of Physics.