Publisher's Synopsis
When this book was published in 2001 there had been major advances in high-temperature superconductor research, resulting in a large number of compounds that are now known to have superconducting properties. These materials have in common the complexity of their multicomponent chemistry and basic electronic mechanisms. For example, it is recognized that for many high-temperature superconductor applications the materials must be highly textured to nearly single-crystalline form, posing problems for wire fabrication; on the other hand, interfaces need to be controlled at the near-atomic level and a practical need exists for understanding the fundamental relations between physical properties, crystal chemistry and processing. This book provides an overview of high-temperature superconductivity. The thrust of many of the presentations is on fabrication, characterization, and phase relations in both first-generation (bismuth-based) and second-generation (yttrium-based) superconductors. Topics include progress and status of superconductors, processing for high critical current densities, understanding current transport, processing for development of flux-pinning centers, phase relations/ equilibrium, processing/microstructure relationships, and grain boundary properties. Synthesis and characterization of superconductors containing thallium, mercury, or ruthenium are also featured.
