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The recent discovery of high-temperature superconductivity has resulted in a remarkable growth in the amount of research and the number of researchers working in this exciting field. Superconductivity is not a new phenomenon: in 1991 it will be 80 years old. Even though it was the newer discoveries which motivated us to write this book, the book itself is mainly a description of the fundamentals of the phenomenon. The book is written for a very broad audience, including students, engin­ eers, teachers, scientists, and others who are interested in learning about this exciting frontier of science. We have focused on the qualitative aspects, so that the reader can develop a basic understanding of the fundamental physics without getting bogged down in the details. Because of this approach, our list of refer­ ences is not comprehensive, and it is supplemented with a summary of additional reading consisting of monographs and selected review articles.
A little history. Superconducting materials
The nature of superconductivity
Energy gap
Macroscopic quantization
Thermal and electromagnetic properties
The effects of strong coupling. Critical temperature
Non-phonon mechanisms of superconductivity
Superconducting films
Superconducting systems
The superconducting state in nature
Measurement techniques
Applications of superconductivity
High-tc cuprates
Appendixes