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.

This book explores the fascinating field of high-temperature superconductivity. Basic concepts–including experimental techniques and theoretical issues–are discussed in a clear, systematic manner. In addition, the most recent research results in the measurements, materials synthesis and processing, and characterization of physical properties of high-temperature superconductors are presented. Researchers and students alike can use this book as a comprehensive introduction not only to superconductivity but also to materials-related research in electromagnetic ceramics. Special features of the book: - presents recent developments in vortex-state properties, defects characterization, and phase equilibrium - introduces basic concepts for experimental techniques at low temperatures and high magnetic fields - provides a valuable reference for materials-related research - discusses potential industrial applications of high-temperature superconductivity - includes novel processing technologies for thin film and bulk materials - suggests areas of research and specific problems whose solution can make high-Tc superconductors a practical reality

The first comprehensive book to focus on ultra-high temperature ceramic materials in more than 20 years Ultra-High Temperature Ceramics are a family of compounds that display an unusual combination of properties, including extremely high melting temperatures (>3000°C), high hardness, and good chemical stability and strength at high temperatures. Typical UHTC materials are the carbides, nitrides, and borides of transition metals, but the Group IV compounds (Ti, Zr, Hf) plus TaC are generally considered to be the main focus of research due to the superior melting temperatures and stable high-melting temperature oxide that forms in situ. Rather than focusing on the latest scientific results, Ultra-High Temperature Ceramics: Materials for Extreme Environment Applications broadly and critically combines the historical aspects and the state-of-the-art on the processing, densification, properties, and performance of boride and carbide ceramics. In reviewing the historic studies and recent progress in the field, Ultra-High Temperature Ceramics: Materials for Extreme Environment Applications provides: Original reviews of research conducted in the 1960s and 70s Content on electronic structure, synthesis, powder processing, densification, property measurement, and characterization of boride and carbide ceramics. Emphasis on materials for hypersonic aerospace applications such as wing leading edges and propulsion components for vehicles traveling faster than Mach 5 Information on materials used in the extreme environments associated with high speed cutting tools and nuclear power generation Contributions are based on presentations by leading research groups at the conference "Ultra-High Temperature Ceramics: Materials for Extreme Environment Applications II" held May 13-19, 2012 in Hernstein, Austria. Bringing together disparate researchers from academia, government, and industry in a singular forum, the meeting cultivated didactic discussions and efforts between bench researchers, designers and engineers in assaying results in a broader context and moving the technology forward toward near- and long-term use. This book is useful for furnace manufacturers, aerospace manufacturers that may be pursuing hypersonic technology, researchers studying any aspect of boride and carbide ceramics, and practitioners of high-temperature structural ceramics.

This book is a collection of proceedings of a symposium organized by the North Carolina Section of the American Chemical Society on the preparations, properties, and processing of high-temperature superconducting materials. The proceedings include papers of new results presented at the symposium.

Research into high-Tc materials demands the co-operation of physicists, chemists and materials scientists to discover the best solutions to the most important challenges presented by the field. In the fifth annual Workshop on High Temperature Superconductors and Novel Inorganic Materials Engineering, the topic is extended beyond high-Tc superconductivity to include other advanced oxide materials, mainly colossal magnetoresistance materials, which are closely related to the ceramic superconductors. This book covers the synthesis, characterisation (both structural and physical) and engineering of this class of materials.