Comparison of radio-frequency and microwave superconducting properties of YBaCuO dedicated to magnetic resonance imaging

Properties of YBaCuO thin films are evaluated in two distinct frequency ranges using different patterns made during the same process on LaALO(3) substrate. Microwave superconducting properties in the range 1-45 GHz are determined by S-parameters measurement of a superconducting coplanar waveguide in the range 53-95 K. We obtain a surface resistance of 0.4 m Omega at 10.8 GHz and 77 K. Radio-frequency properties are obtained by measuring the Q-factor of a superconducting resonator (YBCO multiturn transmission lines separated by a sapphire sheet) dedicated to surface magnetic resonance imaging. At 52 MHz and 77 K we measure a Q-factor of 33180. The extraction of the radio-frequency surface resistance from Q-factor measurements in the 64-95 K range takes into account external loss mechanisms and nonuniform normal current distribution and leads to a 0.0093-mu Omega surface resistance at 52 MHz and 77 K, in good agreement with the value extrapolated from microwave measurements assuming an omega(2) frequency dependence. The evaluation of lambda(0) is carried out by using several models for lambda(L)(t) Least squares fits to data in the microwave and radio-frequency domain are performed using the Gorter-Casimir expression for lambda(L)(t) and give the same lambda(0) value for both devices.