The in-plane penetration depth of Sr$_{0.88}$La$_{0.12}$CuO$_{2+x}$ thin films at various doping obtained from oxygen reduction has been measured, using AC susceptibility measurements. For the higher doping samples, the superfluid density deviates st
rongly from the s-wave behavior, suggesting, in analogy with other electron-doped cuprates, a contribution from a nodal hole pocket, or a small gap on the Fermi surface such as an anisotropic s-wave order parameter. The low value of the superfluid densities, likely due to a strong doping-induced disorder, places the superconducting transition of our samples in the phase-fluctuation regime.
Single phase, c-axis oriented, e-doped, Sr1-xLaxCuO2 thin films were epitaxially grown on KTaO3 and DyScO3 substrates by reactive rf sputtering. As-grown films being insulating due to oxygen excess, oxygen reduction is necessary to observe supercondu
ctivity. Two different procedures were employed to reach superconductivity. On one hand an in-situ reduction process was conducted on a series of films deposited on both types of substrates. On the other hand, an ex-situ reduction procedure was performed sequentially on a single film deposited on DyScO3. The study of the influence of oxygen reduction on the structural and electronic properties of the thin films is presented and discussed.
The resistance noise in a Bi_2Sr_2CaCu_2O$_{8+delta}$ thin film is found to increase strongly in the underdoped regime. While the increase of the raw resistance noise with decreasing temperature appears to roughly track the previously reported pseudo
gap temperature for this material, standard noise analysis rather suggests that the additional noise contribution is driven by the proximity of the superconductor-insulator transition.
