Superconductivity. Elementary topics (Q2718643)

This book is devoted to different problems of superconductivity which have obtained intensive development after discovery of high-temperature superconductors in 1986. The main part of the text is based on the author's research and has been included in his course teaching superconductivity at the University of Hyderabad (India). Several of the topics discussed in the monograph cannot be found in other books on superconductivity. The book is divided into ten chapters.NEWLINENEWLINE Ch. 1 is an introductory one. It describes general properties of superconductors and some aspects of the BCS theory which occupies considerable place in the book. The magnetic flux behavior is studied in the next chapter taking into account interfaces into superconductor. The Ginzburg-Landau phenomenological model of free energy and the Abrikosov flux lattice connected with its are considered in Ch. 3. Then, considerable attention is paid to flux-lattice melting. The magnetization of a type-II superconductor is discussed in Ch. 4. Here, also it is studied, so-called, the para-Meissner effect determined by the positive susceptibility below the superconducting transition temperature. The parameters and conditions of initiation this effect are discussed in detail.NEWLINENEWLINEThe absorption of microwaves in superconductor is considered in Ch. 5 basing on the BCS theory. The experimental observations of microwave absorption in the different high-temperature superconductors are present, too. The surface resistance and the London penetration depth of superconductor connected with its are included in Ch. 6. These are studied in dependence on the external magnetic and electric fields. The experimental results are also present.NEWLINENEWLINE Ch. 7 considers features of the Mössbauer effect connected with emission (or absorption)of a g-ray photon without loss of energy due to recoil of the nucleus. Some influences, namely the radioactive nuclei, optical phonons and the transition from normal to superconducting state, on the Mössbauer spectrum in a superconductor are studied. The problem of levitation for a pair of superconductor and magnet, and some parameters this system are considered in Ch. 8.NEWLINENEWLINE The fractal dimensionality representing the flux penetration in superconductor is the core of Ch. 9. With this, in particular, it is linked the understanding of the critical exponents associated with phase transitions.NEWLINENEWLINE Ch. 10 presents the phenomenon of the nuclear magnetic resonance being an absorption of the radio frequency waves and being analogous to the electron spin resonance discussed in Ch. 5.NEWLINENEWLINE Finally, eight appendices occupy the considerable part of the book. An interesting classification of superconducting compounds is present in Ap. A. Different isotope effects are described in Ap. B. the effects of the symmetry on superconducting properties are present in Ap. C. The research of the pseudogap, relativistic superconductivity, the Cherenkov effect and soft vortices cover the next appendices. Finally, the calculations of the specific heat in normal and superconducting states and also the quantum Hall effect are discussed in the last two appendices.NEWLINENEWLINE Altogether this book successfully combines clear physical essence with strict mathematics and allows to obtain accurate understanding of problems and results of modern superconductivity. It will be useful for scientists interested in superconductivity and can be used as a supplementary reading material in the preparation of teaching course in superconductivity.