The rise of superconductivity (Paperback)

The authors relate the story of the discovery and development of the science that has produced one of the most active and exciting areas of condensed matter physics research and applications - superconductors.
Beginning with the first liquifaction of helium, the book develops the plot through the discovery of the meissner effect to the development of the first superconductors and briefly examines their properties. The book then moves on to the key work of Nobel prize-winners, Bednorz and Muller and looks at the legacy of the last decade. The quthors introduce the general structure and properties of superconductor materials and the organic metals in particular.
The final third of the book is divided between outlining some of the major technological advances and suggesting future directions, and examining the impact on theoretical physics that work on superconductors is continuing to have. The book concludes with a brief look at the struggle for technical supremacy between the U.S. and Japan, and the influence Europe has had on developments generally