Superconductivity is the ability of certain materials to conduct electrical current with no resistance and extremely low losses. High temperature superconductors, such as La2-xSrxCuOx (Tc=40K) and YBa2Cu3O7-x (Tc=90K), were discovered in 1987 and have been actively studied since. In spite of an intense, world-wide, research effort during this time, a complete understanding of the copper oxide (cuprate) materials is still lacking. Many fundamental questions are unanswered, particularly the mechanism by which high-Tc superconductivity occurs. More broadly, the cuprates are in a class of solids with strong electron-electron interactions. This important book brings together leading research in this dynamic field.
Subject Scope: Condensed Matter. This book presents a review of an original Hierarchic theory of condensed matter, general for liquids and solids and its numerous applications. Computer programs based on a new theory were used for comprehensive simulations of water and ice physical properties and validation of the theory. Condensed matter is considered as a system of 3D standing waves (collective excitations) of different nature: thermal de Broglie waves, IR photons and thermal phonons. Quantitative interrelation between microscopic, mesoscopic (as intermediate) and macroscopic properties of condensed matter were found. New theories of total internal energy, including contributions of kinetic and potential energies, heat capacity, surface tension, vapour pressure, thermal conductivity, viscosity and self-diffusion are described.
This book consists of over 600 selected descriptions and abstracts of books, book chapters, patents and journal articles from throughout the world dealing with this high-profile topic. Each citation contains complete bibliographic data plus key words. The entries are grouped under the headings of: Theory of Superconductivity; Superconducting Devices; Superconducting Properties of Materials; Applications of Superconductors: Author Index; Subject Index.
This book provides readers with a comprehensive overview of the science of superconducting materials. It serves as a fundamental information source on the actual techniques and methodologies involved in superconducting materials growth, characterization and processing. This book includes coverage of several categories of medium and high-temperature superconducting materials: cuprate oxides, borides, and iron-based chalcogenides and pnictides. Provides a single-source reference on superconducting materials growth, characterization and processing; Bridges the gap between materials science and applications of superconductors; Discusses several categories of superconducting materials such as cuprate oxides, borides, and iron-based chalcogenides and pnictides; Covers synthesis, characterization, and processing of superconducting materials, as well as the nanoengineering approach to tailor the properties of the used materials at the nanoscale level.
High-temperature superconductors are one of the most active and exciting areas of condensed matter physics research. From high-quality thin-films to friction-less transportation, their applications in industries such as telecommunications, environment and geology, medicine, nuclear physics, and security are just the beginning. The Rise of the Superconductors is an ideological chronology of the science that has produced superconductors. Beginning with the first liquefaction of helium, the book presents the discovery of the Meissner effect and the development of type II superconductors before discussing the impact of Bednorz and Müller's Nobel prize-winning research in high temperature ceramic superconductors. Authors seamlessly introduce the rise of Tc materials, whose layer-like nature, anisotropic behavior, and other properties are discussed in Chapter 4. The next chapter is devoted to the discovery, development, and characteristics of organic superconductors, particularly in fullerene materials, whose discovery earned the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1996. The authors then examine the properties and theoretical developments explaining the behavior of simple superconductors, highlighting their impact on theoretical physics. Subsequent chapters analyze the technological advances, production challenges, and future directions of large- and small-scale applications, Josephson effects, the development of SQUID technology, and the specific behavior of high temperature superconductors. The Rise of the Superconductors concludes with a brief look at the struggle for technical superiority between the U.S. and Japan, European contributions, and commentary on the current state of the art.
