Reversible transitions in high-$T_c$ cuprates based point contacts

The influence of electric felds and currents has been investigated in the high-$T_c$ superconductors $YBaCuO$ and $BiSrCaCuO$ using a point-contact geometry with $Ag$ as the counterelectrode, which reveal switching transitions between states of a different resistance. The origin of this effect in point contacts is associated with electromigration of the oxygen, driven by the electric feld as well as by the currentinduced "electron wind". The switching effect preserves its basic features at elevated temperatures up to room temperature and in high magnetic felds up to 10 T.