PREPARATION, CHARACTERIZATION AND ROOM-TEMPERATURE ELECTROCHEMICAL RESPONSE OF BI2SR2CACU2O8 SUPERCONDUCTOR MICROBAND ELECTRODES

Fabrication of a well-behaved superconductor microband electrode fashioned from the edges of thin films of Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 sandwiched between two insulating layers is demonstrated. In room temperature solutions of redox species, these microbands exhibit well-defined voltammograms and currents interpretable by standard microband electrode theory. The behavior of freshly cleaved electrodes indicates preparation of reasonably pristine surfaces. The new superconductor electrode geometry along with the recently reported fluid electrolyte cryosolvent will be useful in the context of future experiments with superconductor electrodes at temperatures below their T(c) values. The first results for double-layer capacitance of a superconductor/electrolyte solution interface are also provided.