Structural and superconducting properties of EuBa2Cu3O7-xthin films grown by off-axis pulsed laser deposition

EuBa2Cu3O7-x thin films have been deposited by off-axis pulsed laser ablation on strontium titanate substrates. The effect of deposition temperature at reduced oxygen pressure on the microstructural and superconducting properties was investigated. X-ray diffraction measurements and Raman spectroscopy structural analyses have been carried out for identifying chemical and structural impurities and inhomogeneities on the film surfaces. The films exhibited a preferential c-axis growth, with the presence of a-axis component and orientation homogeneity depending on the deposition temperature. Critical currents investigated as a function of temperature and applied magnetic fields by means of magnetization measurement showed values of about 10 MA cm-2 at 5 K and 1 MA cm-2 at 77 K in zero applied magnetic field.