Handbook of Superconductivity : Theory, Materials, Processing, Characterization and Applications (3-Volume Set)

Completely revised and updated, the second edition of the Handbook of Superconductivity is now available in three stand-alone volumes. As a whole they cover the depth and breadth of the field, drawing on an international pool of respected academics and industrial engineers. The three volumes provide hands-on guidance to the manufacturing and processing technologies associated with superconducting materials and devices. A comprehensive reference, the handbook supplies a tutorial on techniques for the beginning graduate student and a source of ancillary information for practicing scientists. The past twenty years have seen rapid progress in superconducting materials, which exhibit one of the most remarkable physical states of matter ever to be discovered. Superconductivity brings quantum mechanics to the scale of the everyday world where a single, coherent quantum state may extend over a distance of metres, or even kilometres, depending on the size of a coil or length of superconducting wire. Viable applications of superconductors rely fundamentally on an understanding of this intriguing phenomena and the availability of a range of materials with bespoke properties to meet practical needs. This first volume covers the fundamentals of superconductivity and the various classes of superconducting materials, which sets the context for volumes 2 and 3. Volume 1 ends with a tutorial on phase diagrams, and a glossary relevant to all 3 volumes.