Fortunately, Nature rarely pays much attention to theorists.
In 1986 and 1987, new breakthrough discoveries were made
in materials made from copper oxides ("cuprates")
and the highest critical temperatures (Tc)
for superconductivity soared through the
"liquid nitrogen barrier"
of 77 K, liberating the imaginations of
scientists
as well as the media
to envision a future rich with cheap practical applications
of superconductivity.
History of the Transistor: Invention to Marketplace
| History of the Transistor: Invention to Marketplace [cont'd]
| Commercialization of High-Temperature Superconductors [1992]
Ten years later, the scientific community still does not understand
how it is possible for superconductivity to be achieved
at such high temperatures. (Of course, as usual, many individual
scientists are confident that they have found the answer.)
Art Freeman vs. Phil Anderson [ca. 1989]
| Resonating Valence Bonds [cartoon version]
| Resonating Valence Bonds [alt. cartoon version]
| Zhang's SO(5) Superspin theory of HTSC: AF Vortex Cores?
This page is still (obviously) under construction . . . .
Periodic Table showing Superconducting Elements and HTSC components | HTSC and Related Materials [ca. 1989] | Electron Microscope pictures of Cava's LSCO sample, Jan 87 | Properties of the 1-2-3 YBCO Material | YBCO 1-2-3 crystal: Unit Cell | BSCCO 2201 and 2212 crystals: Unit Cells | MTSC without Copper: the Barium Bismuthates | YBCO(x) AF/SC Phase Diagram (x,T) | Planes, Chains and Empties: LSCO vs. YBCO | Planes, Chains and Empties in YBCO | Cascading Questions about Magnetism and Superconductivity | Coexistence of Magnetism and HTSC: Two Key Questions | Effects of x Inhomogeneity in YBCOx? | Coexistence of Magnetism and Superconductivity: What is "Microscopic"?
Here's something to worry about: overpublication in the field of HTSC.
When you look at some seemingly unrelated developments and Nobel prizes it is clear that the fates of superconductivity and µSR are inextricably intertwined. . . .