Super conductors

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Abstract
Since the discovery of superconductivity in layered cuprate compounds in 1986, research into the science and application of hightemperature superconductors has expanded phenomenally. In particular, there have been reports of an yttriumbased superconductor with a critical temperature (Tc) in the 90 K class, followed by a 110 K class bismuthbased superconductor and a 125 K class thallium based superconductor. Liquid nitrogen, which boils at 77.3 K (at 1 atm), can be used to cool these compounds. Compared with liquid helium (which is needed for temperatures below 77.3K), liquid nitrogen is easy to use and inexpensive; it also allows simpler cryostats to be used and, more importantly, has a large heat flux (a measure of the coolant's ability to transfer heat away from a surface). At 1 atm, for example, liquid nitrogen has a heat flux of 15 W cm-2, compared with 0.8 W cm-2 for liquid helium. This should allow high-Tc superconductors to operate in a stable way – even when there is heat generation.

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