BCS: 50 YEARS

The BCS theory of superconductivity developed in 1957 by Bardeen, Cooper and Schrieffer has been remarkably successful in explaining the properties of superconductors. In addition, concepts from BCS have been incorporated into diverse fields of physics, from nuclear physics and dense quark matter to the current standard model. Practical applications include SQUIDs, magnetic resonance imaging, superconducting electronics and the transmission of electricity. This invaluable book is a compilation of both a historical account and a discussion of the current state of theory and experiment.

With contributions from many prominent scientists, it aims to introduce students and researchers to the origins, the impact and the current state of the BCS theory.

Contents:

Historical Perspectives:
- Remembrance of Superconductivity Past (L N Cooper)
- The Road to BCS (J R Schrieffer)
- Development of Concepts in Superconductivity (J Bardeen)
- Failed Theories of Superconductivity (J Schmalian)
- Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and the BCS Theory (C P Slichter)
- Superconductivity: From Electron Interaction to Nuclear Supefluidity (D Pines)
- Developing BCS Ideas in the Former Soviet Union (L P Gor'kov)
- BCS: The Scientific “Love of My Life” (P W Anderson)
Fluctuations, Tunneling and Disorder:
- SQUIDs: Then and Now (J Clarke)
- Resistance in Superconductors (B I Halperin et al.)
- Cooper Pair Breaking (P Fulde)
- Superconductor-Insulator Transitions (A M Goldman)
- Novel Phases of Vortices in Superconductors (P Le Doussal)
- Breaking Translational Invariance by Population Imbalance: The Fulde–Ferrell–Larkin–Ovchinnikov States (G Zwicknagl & J Wosnitza)
New Superconductors:
- Predicting and Explaining T_c and Other Properties of BCS Superconductors (M L Cohen)
- The Evolution of HTS: T_c-Experiment Perspectives (C W Chu)
- The Evolution of High-Temperature Superconductivity: Theory Perspective (E Abrahams)
BCS Beyond Superconductivity:
- The Superfluid Phases of Liquid ³He: BCS Theory (A J Leggett)
- Superfluidity in a Gas of Strongly Interacting Fermions (W Ketterle et al.)
- BCS from Nuclei and Neutron Stars to Quark Matter and Cold Atoms (G Baym)
- Energy Gap, Mass Gap, and Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking (Y Nambu)
- BCS as Foundation and Inspiration: The Transmutation of Symmetry (F Wilczek)
- From BCS to the LHC (S Weinberg)

Readership: Students, researchers and academics interested in BCS theory and its origin.

“ This exceptionally well written and edited book celebrates and reviews the state of BCS theory and experiment. The many chapters on the history and early experiments are all very clear and readily accessible to a high-energy physicist, despite containing a wealth of detail. The content continues well beyond the usual applications of BCS theory and there are extensive discussions of extensions of BCS, especially in the light of attempts to understand the new high Tc superconductors … All 23 chapters are by outstanding physicists (including many Nobel prize-winners) and all were fascinating to read. I would highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone as a wonderful review of a powerful unifying concept that covers an enormous range of phenomena.”

CERN Courier

“… the editors deserve praise for the selection of topics and for enlisting a distinguished set of authors. BCS: 50 Years is a successful attempt to capture the history of the development of superconductivity theory and its continuing impact. Any person curious about superconductivity will find something in this book to enjoy.”

Physics Today

588pp		Pub. date: Nov 2010
ISBN: 978-981-4304-64-1 981-4304-64-6		US$135 / £84

588pp		Pub. date: Nov 2010
ISBN: 978-981-4304-65-8(pbk) 981-4304-65-4(pbk)		US$65 / £40

588pp		Pub. date: Nov 2010
ISBN: 978-981-4304-66-5(ebook) 981-4304-66-2(ebook)		US$176 / £116

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