Peculiarity of physical properties in high-Tc superconductors : their effects on practical applications

Abstract

The present understanding of the physical properties of high-Tc superconductors is summarized and the effects of their peculiar properties on practical applications are discussed. Although the electronic phase diagram has been a central focus of high-Tc research, there remain as yet unresolved problems that are listed here. As peculiar physical properties, two-dimensionality, d-wave symmetry, short superconductivity coherence lengths, the pseudo-gap and the inhomogeneous electronic states such as the charge stripes are discussed from the viewpoint of their effects on the characteristics of superconductivity such as critical field and critical current.