Transport properties of Josephson junctions and squids employing different types of YBCO grain boundaries obtained through the biepitaxial technique

Concepts and experimental procedures to obtain different types of YBa2Cu3O7 grain boundaries Josephson junctions through the biepitaxial technique have been developed. Various seed layers (MgO, CeO2 and SrTiO3) and substrates (MgO, SrTiO3) have been used providing, for the biepitaxial technique, additional flexibility in circuit design. A detailed investigation on transport properties evidenced good performances for both junctions and superconducting quantum interference devices. Experimental evidence is given of a conventional magnetic field behavior in 45 degrees tilt Artificial Grain Boundary (AGB) for which no pi -loops are predicted along the interface.