With this book, we wish to honor the lifework of K. Alex Müller and present him with this book on the occasion of his 94th birthday. We are convinced that he will very much enjoy reading it. We would like to thank all contributors to this book, who addressed topics complementary and related to his work. The articles of the book represent the efforts in solid state physics – spanning more than 60 years – which have been groundbreaking in scientific and applied sciences. Many of the current hot topics are derived from this earlier work which has pioneered the way toward new experimental tools and/or refined techniques. From this point of view, the book presents, on one hand, a historical review and, on the other hand, a directory of possible future research.

With this book, we wish to honor the lifework of K. Alex Müller and present him with this book on the occasion of his 94th birthday. We are convinced that he will very much enjoy reading it. We would like to thank all contributors to this book, who addressed topics complementary and related to his work. The articles of the book represent the efforts in solid state physics - spanning more than 60 years - which have been groundbreaking in scientific and applied sciences. Many of the current hot topics are derived from this earlier work which has pioneered the way toward new experimental tools and/or refined techniques. From this point of view, the book presents, on one hand, a historical review and, on the other hand, a directory of possible future research.

This is an advanced textbook for graduate students and researchers wishing to learn about high temperature superconductivity in copper oxides, in particular the Kamimura-Suwa (K-S) model. Because a number of models have been proposed since the discovery of high temperature superconductivity by Bednorz and Müller in 1986, the book first explains briefly the historical development that led to the K-S model. It then focuses on the physical background necessary to understand the K-S model and on the basic principles behind various physical phenomena such as electronic structures, electrical, thermal and optical properties, and the mechanism of high temperature superconductivity.

The recent discovery of high-temperature superconductivity in copper based oxides is an event of major importance not only with respect to the physical phenomenon itself but also because it definitely shows that solid state chemistry, and especially the crystal chemistry of oxides, has a crucial place in the synthesis and understanding of new materials for future appli cations. The numerous papers published in the field of high Tc supercon ductors in the last five years demonstrate that the great complexity of these materials necessitates a close collaboration between physicists and solid state chemists. This book is based to a large extent on our experience of the crystal chemistry of copper oxides, which we have been studying in the laboratory for more than twelve years, but it also summarizes the main results which have been obtained for these compounds in the last five years relating to their spectacular superconducting properties. We have focused on the struc ture, chemical bonding and nonstoichiometry of these materials, bearing in mind that redox reactions are the key to the optimization of their supercon ducting properties, owing to the importance of the mixed valence of copper and its Jahn-Teller effect. We have also drawn on studies of extended defects by high-resolution electron microscopy and on their creation by ir radiation effects.

This study reviews the experimental aspects of oxide superconductivity, with transition temperatures from 30 K to above 100 K. It discusses experimental descriptions of principle superconducting compounds and covers VSC theory, electron-photon interaction and new theoretical models.

Herein is presented the results of a comprehensive program of research aimed at understanding the materials science and the mechanistic physics of high-temperature superconducting oxides. This comprehensive research program has identified the materials properties that are consistently associated with high-Tc superconductors and has shown that the mechanism that gives rise to the phenomenon of high-Tc superconductivity is associated with bound holes that are due to charge-transfer excitations at high frequency. The latter are a result of the high internal electric field present in high-Tc materials, owing to the asymmetry of the crystal structure. The interaction of bound holes with free electrons and the interaction of local spin fluctuations with the spin of free electrons generate a charge density wave and a spin density wave that cause Cooper pairing.

Herein is presented the results of a comprehensive program of research aimed at understanding the materials science and the mechanistic physics of high-temperature superconducting oxides. This comprehensive research program has identified the materials properties that are consistently associated with high-Tc superconductors and has shown that the mechanism that gives rise to the phenomenon of high-Tc superconductivity is associated with bound holes that are due to charge-transfer excitations at high frequency. The latter are a result of the high internal electric field present in high-Tc materials, owing to the asymmetry of the crystal structure. The interaction of bound holes with free electrons and the interaction of local spin fluctuations with the spin of free electrons generate a charge density wave and a spin density wave that cause Cooper pairing.