Introduction to High Temperature Superconductor Physics

Syllabus

* I. Introduction

History of superconductivity. Discovery of high temperature superconductors. Record critical temperature, Importance of high temperature superconductivity.

* II. Materials.

Overview of high Tc materials. Structure. Basic properties. Thin films and monocrystals growing. .

* III. Theoretical models - BCS.

Bardeen, Cooper, Schriefer (BCS) theory. Basic parameters. Limiting cases. Symmetry of the order parameter. Comparison of high temperature and low temperature superconductors. Alternative paring mechanisms. The problem to explain high critical temperature.

* IV. non BCS theoretical models.

Marginal Fermiho liquid, t-J model, bipolaron model.

* V. Physical properties.

Transport properties - conductivity, Hall voltage. Magnetic properties. Tunellling. Infrared and Raman spectroscopy. Energy gap determination.

* VI. Vortices

Basic concepts. Vortex lattice. Vortex dynamics. Phase diagrams Importance for application.

* VII. Application - current stage and the outlook.

Superconducting solenoids. SQUID and its application. Bolometers. Computer components

Annotation

Physical properties of high temperature superconductors, relevant theoretical models, superconducting materials, vortices, vortex properties, vortex dynamics.