Advances in High Temperature Superconductors and their Applications

Prof. Heike KamerlinghOnnes discovered superconductivity while measuringresistivity of mercury. Surprisingly the resistivity of mercury ceased at 4.2 K andthis phenomenon was known as superconductivity. Superconductivity plays an important role in electronic applications. Josephson Junction devices are used in voltage standard and in ultra sensitive magnetometers. These magnetometers are employed in geophysical exploration and in non-contacting non-invasive biomedical applications epilepsy and cognitive neuroscience studies. Added to these Josephson junction technology can also be employed in digital logic chips with clock frequencies at least an order of magnitude faster than semiconductor technology. Hence it was decided to bring out a volume entitled ‘Advances in High Temperature Superconductors and its applications’ emphasizing on the ongoing applications although there is a vacuum in theory of high temperature superconductors.