Varela Del Arco, MaríaGrogger, W.Arias Serna, DiegoSefrioui, ZouhairLeón Yebra, CarlosVázquez, L.Ballesteros, C.Krishnan, K.M.Santamaría Sánchez-Barriga, Jacobo2023-06-202023-06-202002-11-011098-012110.1103/PhysRevB.66.174514https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/59616© 2002 The American Physical Society. We thank Professor Ivan Schuller for helpful conversations and interesting suggestions. This work was supported by Spanish CICYT MAT 2000 1468. Work at LBNL/NCEM was supported by the Director, Office of Energy Research, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Materials Sciences Division of the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC03-76SF00098.We report on the growth mechanism of YBa_(2)Cu_(3)O_(7-x). Our study is based on an analysis of ultrathin YBa_(2)Cu_(3)O_(7-x) (YBCO) layers in c-axis-oriented YBa_(2)Cu_(3)O_(7-x)/PrBa_(2)Cu_(3)O_(7)superlattices. We have found that the release of epitaxial strain in very thin YBCO layers triggers a change in the dimensionality of the growth mode. Ultrathin epitaxially strained YBCO layers with thickness below 3 unit cells grow in a blockby-block two -dimensional mode that is coherent over large lateral distances. Meanwhile, when the thickness increases and the strain relaxes, layer growth turns three-dimensional, resulting in rougher layers and interfaces.engjournal articlehttp://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.66.174514http://journals.aps.org/open access537Critical currentsResolutionTemperatureLayersImages.ElectricidadElectrónica (Física)2202.03 Electricidad