Combining superconductivity with spintronics provides exciting opportunities to realize low-dissipation quantum devices. Here we report the synthesis, characterization, and magnetotransport measurements of the $\mathrm{Pb}\text{/}{\mathrm{Bi}}_2{\mathrm{Sr}}_2{\mathrm{CaCu}}_2{\mathrm{O}}_{8+\delta }$ (BSCCO) superconducting heterostructures, where an insulating ${\mathrm{PbO}}_x$ layer spontaneously forms at the interface. Nonvolatile switching between superconducting (logical “0”) and normal (“1”) states in Pb films by an external field, i.e., infinite magnetoresistance (IMR), can be realized and are attributed to the strong trapping and pinning of vortices in BSCCO. Furthermore, butterfly-shaped hysteresis loops in magnetoresistance, pronounced resistance dips and jumps, and thermal reset to superconducting states can be observed and are direct manifestations of the peculiar vortex dynamics in BSCCO and vortex coupling across the Pb/BSCCO interface. Our work demonstrates a simple and effective way to realize IMR through superconducting vortices and opens up opportunities to study the vortex interactions across the superconducting interfaces.

Close

PrevNext

View figure in article

• Magnetoresistance
• Vortices in superconductors
• Interfaces
• Superconducting devices
• Type-II superconductors
• Molecular beam epitaxy
• Photoemission spectroscopy
• Resistivity measurements