Eur. Phys. J. B 73, 361-365 (2010)
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjb/e2010-00014-9

Non linear transport properties of an insulating YBCO nano-bridge

¹ Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, CNRS Université Paris-Sud, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France
² UMR-CNRS/THALES, Route D128, 91767 Palaiseau, France
³ Moscow Engineering Physics Institute, Kashirskoe sh. 31, 115409 Moscow, Russia
⁴ Institute of Microelectronics Technology, Chernogolovka, 141432 Moscow Region, Russia

Corresponding author: fruchter@lps.u-psud.fr

Received: 1 September 2009
Published online: 15 January 2010

Abstract

We have investigated the transport properties of an insulating sub-micrometric YBa₂Cu₃O_7-δ bridge, patterned on a thin film. As expected for a variable-range-hopping insulator, transport is found to be non linear. The reduced dimension allows for the observation of individual fluctuators generating random telegraph noise, whose dynamics could be explored as a function of the temperature and transport current. Some recordings clearly exhibit three levels fluctuating resistance, with comparable level separation and correlated dynamics, which likely result from the existence of two states or correlated clustered charge traps.