Growth technology and characteristics of thin strontium iridate films and iridate–cuprate superconductor heterostructures

A technology for epitaxial growth of thin films of strontium iridate (Sr$_{2}$IrO$_{4}$) and related heterostructures with cuprate superconductor (Sr$_{2}$IrO$_{4}$/YBa$_{2}$Cu$_{3}$O$_{7-\delta}$) has been proposed and developed. It is established that the two-layer structure grows epitaxially and the cuprate superconductor layer has the same critical temperature as that ($\sim$91 K) of an autonomous film. Crystallographic parameters of the obtained iridate films are close to tabulated values and the temperature dependence of their electric resistivity is consistent with published data.