Physics and Materials Science of High Temperature Superconductors, II

Physics and Materials Science of High Temperature Superconductors, II represents the results of a fruitful dialogue between physicists and materials scientists which took place under the auspices of a NATO Advanced Study Institute in Porto Carras, Greece, between 18 and 31 August, 1991. It builds on and carries forward the success of NATO ASI 181 published in 1990. The theoretical side of the discussions reveal the basic premise of the phenomenological and Ginzburg-Landau theories of superconductivity, the implications of short coherence length, long penetration depth, the melting of flux lattices, and other matters, while the materials science includes discussions of microstructures, local inhomogeneities, deviations from ideal chemistry, the effects of systematic errors in materials preparation, the definition of imperfections, and the utilization of common materials analysis techniques. The reader will be made aware of the potential significance of Angstrom scale structural and chemical details, and the need to consider basic theoretical concepts when designing procedures to process viable, solid conductors, specifically the effects of oxygen stoichiometry and deviations from it, as well as the microstructural demands on pinning in the light of very short coherence lengths.