Superconductors capture the imagination with seemingly magical properties that allow them to carry electricity without losing any energy. This book tells how superconductors are designed and engineered on the nanoscale. It introduces what materials science is all about and why advanced materials have such importance for technological progress.
Superconductors capture the imagination with seemingly magical properties that allow them to carry electricity without losing any energy at all. They are however, extraordinarily difficult materials to work with. In this book, Susannah Speller explores the astonishing variety of superconducting materials and the rich science behind optimising their performance for use in different applications. Readers will discover how diverse superconducting materials and their applications are, from the metallic alloys used in the Large Hadron Collider to the thin film superconductors that will be crucial for quantum computers. This book tells about how even the simplest superconductors have to be carefully designed and engineered on the nanometre scale. Along the way, the reader will be introduced to what materials science is all about and why advanced materials have such widespread importance for technological progress. With 'Wider View' and 'Under the Lens' sections, Speller provides an accessible and illuminating exploration of superconductors and their place in the modern world.
Superconductivity: Physics and Applications brings together major developments that have occurred within the field over the past twenty years. Taking a truly modern approach to the subject the authors provide an interesting and accessible introduction. Brings a fresh approach to the physics of superconductivity based both on the well established and convergent picture for most low-Tc superconductors, provided by the BCS theory at the microscopic level, and London and Ginzburg-Landau theories at the phenomenological level, as well as on experiences gathered in high-Tc research in recent years. Includes end of chapter problems and numerous relevant examples Features brief interviews with key researchers in the field A prominent feature of the book is the use of SI units throughout, in contrast to many of the current textbooks on the subject which tend to use cgs units and are considered to be outdated
The applications of superconducting materials have the potential to change our world, but descriptions of superconductivity in literature tend to be complex for non-physicists. This text provides an accessible account of superconductivity and its applications for an interdisciplinary readership. This book covers the characteristics of superconducting materials, particularly those with commercial applications, including MRI, MEG, high-field magnets, magnetometers, gradiometers, SQUID sensors and Josephson junctions. The applications and concepts are discussed at a level suitable for those with a basic background in physics, without using complex mathematics. This is a valuable reference text for researchers and practitioners working with devices made from superconducting materials. The text also acts as useful supplementary reading for courses related to superconductivity and superconducting materials.
From fundamental physics point of view, iron-based superconductors have properties that are more amenable to band structural calculations. This book reviews the progress made in this fascinating field. With contributions from leading experts, the book provides a guide to understanding materials, physical properties, and superconductivity mechanism
A number of macroscopic manifestations of superconducting phenomena (such as zero electrical resistance, the expulsion of magnetic fields and the Josephson effect) have resulted in a proliferation of applications in engineering and electronics. This book takes a practical, pedagogical approach to understanding the electromagnetic properties of superconducting materials. The reader is provided with a set of ready-to-use interactive tools to engage with topics such as vanishing resistivity, magnetic flux expulsion, flux pinning, critical currents, flux quantization and more. Aimed at high level undergraduate and graduate physicists and engineers, this book is ideal for early researchers studying macroscopic superconductivity.
The science of superconducting electronics was first developed over forty years ago, fifty years after the discovery of superconductivity. Since then, a wide range of applications has emerged, and more are envisaged within this ever expanding and exciting field. SQUIDs, the Josephson Effects and Superconducting Electronics chronicles this development from fundamental principles to the present work with high-temperature superconductors. The book discusses superconductivity, Josephson effects, and detectors of unparalleled sensitivity such as SQUIDs. It punctuates theory with practical discussions on how to harness this new science. This complete guide to the subject is an invaluable resource for graduate students and researchers with a specific interest in this field. It also provides guidance to those working in areas of industry where superconducting electronics could be applied.
All technologies depend on the availability of suitable materials. The progress of civilisation is often measured by the materials people have used, from the stone age to the silicon age. Engineers exploit the relationships between the structure, properties and manufacturing methods of a material to optimise their design and production for particular applications. Scientists seek to understand and predict those relationships. This short book sets out fundamental concepts that underpin the science of materials and emphasizes their relevance to mainstream chemistry, physics and biology. These include the thermodynamic stability of materials in various environments, quantum behaviour governing all matter, and active matter. Others include defects as the agents of change in crystalline materials, materials at the nanoscale, the emergence of new science at increasing length scales in materials, and man-made materials with properties determined by their structure rather than their chemistry. The book provides a unique insight into the essence of materials science at a level suitable for pre-university students and undergraduates of materials science. It will also be suitable for graduates in other subjects contemplating postgraduate study in materials science. Professional materials scientists will also find it stimulating and occasionally provocative.
This book provides a comparison of the different chemical structures, normal state properties, and simplest superconducting properties of all known classes of layered superconductors. It introduces the three phenomenological models used to describe such systems, and will guide young researchers hoping to produce a room-temperature superconductor.
This book presents the basics and applications of superconducting magnets. It explains the phenomenon of superconductivity, theories of superconductivity, type II superconductors and high-temperature cuprate superconductors. The main focus of the book is on the application to superconducting magnets to accelerators and fusion reactors and other applications of superconducting magnets. The thermal and electromagnetic stability criteria of the conductors and the present status of the fabrication techniques for future magnet applications are addressed. The book is based on the long experience of the author in studying superconducting materials, building magnets and numerous lectures delivered to scholars. A researcher and graduate student will enjoy reading the book to learn various aspects of magnet applications of superconductivity. The book provides the knowledge in the field of applied superconductivity in a comprehensive way.
