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, 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. An understanding of such 'strongly correlated' solids is perhaps the major unsolved problem of condensed matter physics with over ten thousand researchers working on this topic. High-Tc superconductors also have significant potential for applications in technologies ranging from electric power generation and transmission to digital electronics. This ability to carry large amounts of current can be applied to electric power devices such as motors and generators, and to electricity transmission in power lines. For example, superconductors can carry as much as 100 times the amount of electricity of ordinary copper or aluminium wires of the same size. This Publication presents new research on yttrium barium copper oxide superconductors, often abbreviated YBCO, which is a chemical compound with the formula YBa2Cu3O7. This material, a famous 'high-temperature superconductor', achieved prominence because it was the first material to superconduct above the boiling point of nitrogen. All materials developed before YBCO became superconducting only at temperatures near the boiling points of liquid helium or liquid hydrogen (Tb = 20.1 K). The significance of the discovery of YBCO is the breakthrough in the refrigerant used to cool the material to below the critical temperature.

Superconductors offer high throughput with low electric losses and have the potential to transform the electric power grid. Transmission networks incorporating cables of this type could, for example, deliver more power and enable substantial energy savings. Superconductors in the Power Grid: Materials and Applications provides an overview of superconductors and their applications in power grids. Sections address the design and engineering of cable systems and fault current limiters and other emerging applications for superconductors in the power grid, as well as case studies of industrial applications of superconductors in the power grid. - Expert editor from highly respected US government-funded research centre - Unique focus on superconductors in the power grid - Comprehensive coverage

This book records the events that have occurred prior to eachpublished scientific research paper authored by A D Arulsamy.The chronological narratives shall objectively expose thesequence of events that have prompted the research for eachpublication, including some personal excursions.Along the way, we shall come to see why and how theCondensed Matter Group is formed, and subsequently howthe Institute of Interdisciplinary Science has come to existence as an entity that addresses some of the most important and fundamental questions of our natural world and universe.

Even a hundred years after its discovery, superconductivity continues to bring us new surprises, from superconducting magnets used in MRI to quantum detectors in electronics. 100 Years of Superconductivity presents a comprehensive collection of topics on nearly all the subdisciplines of superconductivity. Tracing the historical developments in supe

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.