This is an introductory-level book about superconductivity. The first four chapters are dedicated to an overview of superconductivity and the associated specific magnetic properties, while the next six chapters deal with superconductor materials, such as NbTi and high-temperature superconductors, ending with room-temperature superconductors.
The book is written in a very clear manner, and it is beautifully illustrated. Undergraduate students are the recommended readers, since the physical explanations are abundant but the rigorous treatment of superconductors based on quantum mechanics is missing.
Therefore, this book can be seen as an invitation to plunge into the fascinating research domain of superconductivity, an endeavor motivated also by the wide applicability of superconductors. To mention only a few: magnets based on superconductors are found in the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners and huge experimental nuclear-fusion reactors. And a key family of quantum computers is based on superconductive Josephson junctions. Thus, superconductivity is at the core of the most advanced technological achievements known today.
Review by Mircea Dragoman, National Research and Development Institute in Microtechnology, Romania.
The opinions expressed in the book review section are those of the reviewer and do not necessarily reflect those of OPN or its publisher, Optica (formerly OSA).