Since the 1980s, a general theme in the study of high-temperature superconductors has been to test the BCS theory and its predictions against new data. At the same time, this process has engendered new physics, new materials, and new theoretical frameworks. Remarkable advances have occurred in sample quality and in single crystals, in hole and electron doping in the development of sister compounds with lower transition temperatures, and in instruments to probe structure and dynamics. Handbook of High-Temperature Superconductvity is a comprehensive and in-depth treatment of both experimental and theoretical methodologies by the the world's top leaders in the field. The Editor, Nobel Laureate J. Robert Schrieffer, and Associate Editor James S. Brooks, have produced a unified, coherent work providing a global view of high-temperature superconductivity covering the materials, the relationships with heavy-fermion and organic systems, and the many formidable challenges that remain.

One of the most exciting developments in modern physics has been the discovery of the new class of oxide materials with high superconducting transition temperature. Systems with Tc well above liquid nitrogen temperature are already a reality and higher Tc's are anticipated. Indeed, the idea of a room-temperature superconductor, which just a short time ago was considered science fiction, appears to be a distinctly possible outcome of materials research. To address the need to train students and scientists for research in this exciting field, Jeffrey W. Lynn and colleagues at the University of Maryland, College Park, as well as other superconductivity experts from around the U.S., taught a graduate-level course in the fall of 1987, from which the chapters in this book were drawn. Subjects included are: Survey of superconductivity (J. Lynn).- The theory of type-II superconductivity (D. Belitz).- The Josephson effect (P. Ferrell).- Crystallography (A. Santoro).- Electronic structure (C.P. Wang).- Magnetic properties and interactions (J. Lynn).- Synthesis and diamagnetic properties (R. Shelton).- Electron pairing (P. Allen).- Superconducting devices (F. Bedard).- Superconducting properties (J. Crow, N.-P. Ong).

In contrast to research on the fundamental mechanisms of High-Temperature Superconductivity, in recent years we have seen enormous developments in the fabrication and application of High-Tc-superconductors. The two volumes of High Temperature Superconductivity provide a survey of the state of the technology and engineering applications of these materials. They comprise extended original research papers and technical review articles written by physicists, chemists, materials scientists and engineers, all of them noted experts in their fields. The interdisciplinary and strictly application-oriented coverage should benefit graduate students and academic researchers in the mentioned areas as well as industrial experts. Volume 1 "Materials" focuses on major technical advancements in High-Tc materials processing for applications. Volume 2 "Engineering Applications" covers numerous application areas where High-Tc superconductors are making tremendous impact.

High-Temperature Superconductors provides an up-to-date and comprehensive review of the properties of these fascinating materials. Much has been learned about the behavior and mechanism of this novel type of superconductivity over the past five years, but many questions remain unanswered. This book gives an invaluable survey which will help students and researchers to consolidate their knowledge and build upon it. A large number of illustrations and tables give valuable information for specialists. A critical comparison of different theoretical models involving strong electron correlations, spin fluctuations, phonons and excitons provides a background for understanding modern trends in the theory of high-temperature superconductivity.

This book provides a comprehensive presentation of all types of HTSC and includes a broad overview on HTSC computer simulations and modeling. Especial attention is devoted to the Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O and Y-Ba-Cu-O families that today are the most perspective for applications. The book includes a great number of illustrations and references. The monograph is addressed to students, post-graduate students and specialists, taking part in the development, preparation and researching of new materials.

The discovery by J. G. Bednorz and K. A. Mtllier in 1986 that the superconducting state can exist in oxides at temperatures above 30 K stimulated research in the field of superconductivity and opened up a new field of research. Within a few years a large number of cuprate superconductors with transition temperatures well above the boiling point of liquid nitrogen have been found. The possibility of using liquid nitrogen as coolant re-stimulated interest in power applications of supercon ductivity. In this book an overview of the known high-Te superconductors and their physical properties is presented. Aspects related to conductor fabrication and high-current applications are emphasised. The material should be suitable for use in graduate level courses on superconductivity. Researchers in the field may profit from the large number of tables and references describing its status at the end of 1997. An introduction to high-To superconductivity must be based on the fundamental physical principles of normal-state electrical conductivity and the well-known characteristics of conventional superconductors. In Chapter 2 this background is provided. Crystal structures, anisotropic properties and general trends of the critical temperatures of the cuprate superconductors are described in Chapters 3 and 4. The processing of superconductor powders addressed in Chapter 5 affects considerably the current-carrying capacity of high-T. wires. In Chapter 6 several fabrication techniques for superconducting wires are described. In addition, the factors limiting the transport critical currents ofhigh-Te wires are discussed.