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.

Since the discovery of high temperature superconductors the scientific com nmnity has been very active in research on material and system development as well as on the basic understanding of the mechanism of superconductiv ity at high transition temperatures. Industrial groups joined in very soon as with these new materials the prospects for commercial application of super conductivity seemed to be more promising than ever. Materials processing was divided into film deposition and bulk preparation techniques, the latter including conductor fabrication and melt growth of monolithic samples as well. Because of the high impact of possible applications in energy technol ogy, wire and tape fabrication of the BSCCO superconductors is one of the most important fields, in addition to thin film technology for mobile comuni cation. Only since processes like IBAD and RABiTS TM were invented have film deposition techniques also become important for energy technology. In order to produce suitable conductors with material properties which meet the challenge imposed by energy technology, detailed understanding of the phase formation and physical properties of the high temperature super conductors is necessary. The goal of this book is on one hand to provide the basic information on phase formation and physical properties, and to give a short overview of the state of the art in conductor preparation and character ization. On the other hand it contains the author's own results in the field of preparation and characterization.

The exciton mechanism of high-Tc superconductivity in copper oxides was initially proposed by Prof. J. Bardeen. His insight is largely shared by another luminary in superconductivity, Prof. V. L. Ginzburg. The main author of the book, Dr. Nie Luo, was motivated by their insights to give a geometrical explanation to the excitonic Coulomb interaction and has developed a unique formalism to understand and predict physical properties of high-Tc superconductors. This work is supported by increasingly strong evidence for electron–hole interactions in p-type cuprates. The presence of electrons in hole-doped cuprates is revealed by the works of the authors and many others, including the late Prof. L. P. Gor’kov. The book also tries to understand the interlayer Coulomb (ILC) pairing model by the excitonic Coulomb interaction. Developed by Prof. A. J. Leggett, ILC theory shares many views with Ginzburg’s approach. The other author of the book, Prof. George H. Miley, shares with us his personal experience with Prof. Bardeen on the exciton’s role in physics problems including high-Tc superconductivity. The results and predictions of this excitonic Coulomb mechanism have been verified by an increasing number of experiments. This book summarizes the current status and fathoms future directions.