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NOTA BENE
Final Nota Bene
You are now reading the final Nota Bene. As noted in
the announcement on our home page (http://www.iitap.iastate.edu/htcu/),
the High-Tc Update is ceasing new activity December 31, 2003.
December preprints
The December
2003 preprint list contains 99 entries, spanning a wide range of
topics from basic to applied. Take a look to see which are of greatest
interest to you.
Reviews
A preprint by W. Belzig gives an introduction to the field of full counting
statistics in mesoscopic electron transport. A paper by N. P. Ong et
al. presents a review of the vortex-Nernst effect in the cuprate families
La2-xSrxCuO4, Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8,
and YBa2Cu3Oy, and discusses the scenario
that the superconducting transition in the hole-doped cuprates corresponds
to the destruction of long-range phase coherence rather than the vanishing
of the order-parameter amplitude.
2003 Nobel Prizes
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics
for 2003 "for pioneering contributions to the theory of superconductors
and superfluids" jointly to Alexei A. Abrikosov (Argonne National Laboratory,
Argonne, Illinois), Vitaly L. Ginzburg (P. N. Lebedev Physical Institute,
Moscow, Russia) and Anthony J. Leggett (University of Illinois, Urbana,
Illinois, USA). All three are widely known for their important contributions
to the physics of superconductivity. The following links provide further
details: The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, October 7, 2003, "Press
Release: The 2003 Nobel Prize in Physics," http://www.nobel.se/physics/laureates/2003/press.html;
Phillip F. Schewe et al., October 7, 2003, Physics News Update, "The
2003 Physics Nobel Prize," http://www.aip.org/enews/physnews/2003/656.html;
Kenneth Chang, October 8, 2003, New York Times, "Russian and 2 Americans
Win Nobel Prize Physics Honors," http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/08/science/08NOBE.html;
Sarah Tomlin, October 9, 2003, Nature 425, 548 (2003), "Super-cool theories
secure physics prize," http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nature/journal/v425/n6958/full/425548a_fs.html;
Charles Seife, October 17, 2003, Science 302, 384 (2003), "2003 Nobel
Prizes: Cool Theories Garner Super Kudos," http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/302/5644/384;
David Lindley, October 28, 2003, Physical Review Focus, "Nobel Focus:
Helium Impersonates a Superconductor," http://focus.aps.org/story/v12/st16.
Since the widespread application of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
is due in large part to the availability of highly reliable superconducting
magnets (see, for example, http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/solids/scmag.html
- c6), those of us in the field of superconductivity also took pleasure
in noting that the 2003 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine was awarded
to Paul Lauterbur of the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and
Peter Mansfield of the University of Nottingham, U.K., "for their discoveries
concerning magnetic resonance imaging." The following links provide
further details: The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, October 6, 2003,
"Press Release: The 2003 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine," http://www.nobel.se/medicine/laureates/2003/press.html;
Phillip F. Schewe et al., October 7, 2003, Physics News Update, "The
2003 Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine," http://www.aip.org/enews/physnews/2003/656.html;
Helen Pearson, October 9, 2003, Nature 425, 547 (2003), doi:10.1038/425547a,
"Magnetic pioneers net Nobel for putting medicine in the picture," http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nature/journal/v425/n6958/full/425547a_fs.html;
Gretchen Vogel, October 17, 2003, Science 302, 382 (2003), "2003 Nobel
Prizes: Physicists Honored for Their Medical Insights," http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/302/5644/382.
SSC: Superconducting Super Collider
It has been ten years since the demise of the SSC. The following articles
tell about its cancellation and the resulting human costs: Charles Seife,
October 3, 2003, Science 302, 36 (2003), "Physics Tries to Leave the
Tunnel," http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/302/5642/36;
Jeffrey Mervis and Charles Seife, October 3, 2003, Science 302, 38 (2003),
"Lots of Reasons, But Few Lessons," http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/302/5642/38;
Jeffrey Mervis, October 3, 2003, Science 302, 40 (2003), "Scientists
Are Long Gone, But Bitter Memories Remain," http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/302/5642/40;
Jeffrey Mervis, October 3, 2003, Science 302, 41 (2003), "The Power
of Words: The SSC in Literature," http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/302/5642/41;
Spencer Klein, December 12, 2003, Science 302, 1893 (2003), "The Human
Cost of the SSC," http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/302/5652/1893b?etoc;
David P. Vernon, December 12, 2003, Science 302, 1893 (2003), "The Lesson
of the SSC," http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/302/5652/1893c?etoc.
Bose-Einstein condensation of molecules of fermions
A paper by S. Jochim et al. [http://arxiv.org/abs/cond-mat/0308095;
published online November 13, 2003, as Sciencexpress 1093280; http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/1093280;
Science 302, 2101 (2003), http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/302/5653/2101]
reports on the Bose-Einstein condensation of more than 105
6Li2 molecules in an optical trap starting from
a spin mixture of fermionic lithium atoms. A paper by M. Greiner et
al. [http://arxiv.org/abs/cond-mat/0311172;
Nature 426, 537 (2003), published online November 26, 2003; doi:10.1038/nature02199;
http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nature/journal/v426/n6966/full/nature02199_fs.html]
reports on the Bose-Einstein condensation of 40K2
molecules in an experiment in which the authors used the Feshbach resonance
to tune the interaction strength between fermionic potassium atoms.
For commentary on the significance of these experiments, see the articles
by Charles Seife, "Competing Research Teams Create Long-Sought State
of Matter," Science 302, 1129 (2003), http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/302/5648/1129a?etoc,
by Peter Rodgers, "Condensates enter new era," PhysicsWeb, November
19, 2003, http://physicsweb.org/article/news/7/11/9,
and by Phillip F. Schewe, Ben Stein, and James Riordon, "BEC Made From
Fermion Molecules," Physics News Update, November 25, 2003, http://www.aip.org/enews/physnews/2003/663.html.
Two Distinct Superconducting Phases in CeCu2Si2
A paper by H. Q. Yuan et al. [Science 302, 5653 (2003), http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/302/5653/2104]
reports the observation of two disconnected superconducting domes in
the pressure-temperature phase diagram of partially germanium-substituted
CeCu2Si2. The authors note that the lower-density
superconducting dome lies on the threshold of antiferromagnetic order,
indicating magnetically mediated pairing, whereas the higher-density
superconducting regime straddles a weakly first-order volume collapse,
suggesting a pairing interaction based on spatially extended density
fluctuations.
KOs2O6
According to a PhysicsWeb article by Belle Dumé [http://physicsweb.org/article/news/7/12/7],
Z. Hiroi and co-workers at the University of Tokyo's Institute for Solid
State Physics have found that KOs2O6, which has
the pyrochlore structure, has a superconducting transition temperature
of 9.6 K and remains a superconductor in high magnetic fields. Their
results, which include measurements of resistivity and magnetic susceptibility,
will be reported in an article to be published in J. Phys.: Condens.
Matter.
Scientific misconduct
Our collection of hyperlinks related to the case of scientific misconduct
by Jan Hendrik Schön at Bell Labs is now on a separate page: http://www.iitap.iastate.edu/htcu/scientific-misconduct.html
News articles about superconductivity
and its applications:
September 1998, Michel Devoret and Christian Glattli, "Single-electron
transistors," Physics Web
http://physicsweb.org/article/world/11/9/7/1
December 1999, Maurice Rice, "Explaining high-Tc superconductors," Physics
World
http://physicsweb.org/article/world/12/12/3
February 2000, Bertram Batlogg and Chandra M. Varma, "The underdoped
phase of cuprate superconductors," Physics World
http://physicsweb.org/article/world/13/2/8
February 16, 2000, Lynn Yarris, "Physics of High Temperature Superconductivity
Elucidated," Science Beat, Berkeley Lab
http://www.lbl.gov/Science-Articles/Archive/super-mechanism.html
March 2000, Jeffery Tallon, "Industry warms to superconductors," Physics
World
http://physicsweb.org/article/world/13/3/8
July 13, 2000, "Superconducting gains," Physics Web
http://physicsweb.org/article/news/4/7/4/1
September 13, 2000, "Superconductivity: Getting warmer," Physics Web
http://physicsweb.org/article/news/4/9/9
January 12, 2001, "Superconductivity: It's in the genes," Physics Web
http://physicsweb.org/article/news/5/1/5
February 2, 2001, Katie Pennicott, "Metal superconductors reach new
high," Physics Web
http://physicsweb.org/article/news/5/2/3
April 2001, Colin Gough, "New metallic superconductor makes an immediate
impact," Physics World
http://physicsweb.org/article/world/14/4/2
June 6, 2001, GlobalTechnoScan.com, "Improving industrial
prospects for new superconductor MgB2," by Judith H. Moore http://www.globaltechnoscan.com/6thJune-12thJune01/superconductor.htm
June 28, 2001, Katie Pennicott, "Nanotubes are the new superconductors,"
Physics Web
http://physicsweb.org/article/news/5/6/15
July 2001, C. Kim et al., "Complex Materials Research by Angle-Resolved
Photoemission Spectroscopy: Challenging the Mystery of High Tc Superconductivity,"
SSRL Highlights Archive
http://www-ssrl.slac.stanford.edu/research/highlights_archive/high-tc.html
July 12, 2001, Katie Pennicott, "Superconductivity: Boron goes it alone,"
Physics Web
http://physicsweb.org/article/news/5/7/10
July 18, 2001, Katie Pennicott, "Latest superconductor has an iron constitution,"
Physics Web
http://physicsweb.org/article/news/5/7/12
September 4, 2001, Jon Van, "Old Innovation Learns New Trick," The Chicago
Tribune
http://www.chicagotribune.com/technology/chi-0109040006sep04.story
January 2002, Valerie Jamieson, "New frontiers in superconductivity,"
Physics World
http://physicsweb.org/article/world/15/1/8
January 2002, Jacques Flouquet and Alexandre Buzdin, "Ferromagnetic
superconductors," Physics World
http://physicsweb.org/article/world/15/1/9
January 24, 2002, Katie Pennicott, "Secret of superconductivity in sight,"
Physics Web
http://physicsweb.org/article/news/6/1/16
February 1, 2002, Robert F. Service, "MgB2 Trades Performance for a
Shot at the Real World," Science 295, 786 (2002)
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/295/5556/786
March 25, 2002, Katie Pennicott, "Superconductivity clue comes out of
the blue," Physics Web
http://physicsweb.org/article/news/6/3/17
April 2002, Michael Norman, "Return of the magnetic resonance," Physics
World
http://physicsweb.org/article/world/15/4/6/1
June 2002, John Tranquada, "A star role for stripes," Physics World
http://physicsweb.org/article/world/15/6/3
October 9, 2002, Alan Street, "Superconducting Magnets Get Bigger and
Better," The Industrial Physicist, Oct/Nov 2002, p. 32
http://www.tipmagazine.com/tip/INPHFA/vol-8/iss-5/p32.pdf
November 1, 2002, "American Superconductor Buys Nordic Superconductor
Technologies," AZoM
http://www.azom.com/news.asp?newsID=348
December 2002, Michael Hanfland, "Lithium feels the pressure to become
a superconductor," Physics Web
http://physicsweb.org/article/world/15/12/3
"Best of Superconductivity," Physics Web (provides hyperlinks to Features,
News, and Links, mostly in Physics Web)
http://physicsweb.org/bestof/superconductivity
February 2003, Belle Dumé, "Superconductor transistor breaks
records," Physics Web
http://physicsweb.org/article/news/7/2/7
February 7, 2003, John C. H. Spence, "Oxygen in Crystals--Seeing Is
Believing," Science 299, 839 (2003)
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/299/5608/839
February 20, 2003, Gianni Blatter, "Quantum computing: The qubit duet,"
Nature 421, 796 (2003)
http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nature/journal/v421/n6925/full/421796a_fs.html
March 2003, Belle Dumé, "Water helps cobalt oxide to become a
superconductor," Physics Web
http://physicsweb.org/article/news/7/3/1
March 6, 2003, Sarah Graham, "Water Activates Compound's Superconductivity,"
Scientific American
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=000D362A-69F3-1E66-A98A809EC5880105
April 10, 2003, Jan Zaanen, "Superconductivity: Pebbles in the nodal
pond," Nature 422, 569 (2003)
http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nature/journal/v422/n6932/full/422569a_fs.html
April 2003, Paul Preuss, "Eight-fold quantum states blossom in a high-temperature
superconductor," Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory press release
http://www.lbl.gov/Science-Articles/Archive/MSD-8-fold-quantum-states.html
April 21, 2003, Charles Choi, "Super-freezing tells age of lead artifacts,"
United Press International Science News
http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20030415-120247-7512r
May 15, 2003, Belle Dumé, "Entanglement reaches new lengths,"
PhysicsWeb
http://physicsweb.org/article/news/7/5/9
May 20, 2003, Belle Dumé, "Superconductivity and magnetism in
harmony," PhysicsWeb
http://physicsweb.org/article/news/7/5/11
May 28, 2003, Adam Banker and Jack Jackson, "American Superconductor's
Delivery of Second Generation High Temperature Superconductor Wire Sets
Stage for Future Market Expansion, New Applications," AMSC press release
http://www.amsuper.com/html/newsEvents/news/105405711691.html
May 30, 2003, Bernhard Keimer, "Broken Cooper Pairs Caught Bouncing
Around," Science 300, 1381 (2003); 138110.1126/science.1084939
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/300/5624/1381
June 6, 2003, Andrew J. Landahl, "Breaking Barriers to Quantum Computing,"
Science 300, 1509 (2003)
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/300/5625/1509
June 20, 2003, J. R. Minkel, "Ratchets Learn to Embrace Logic," Physical
Review Focus
http://focus.aps.org/story/v11/st28
June 30, 2003, Phil Schewe et al., "GH-T Squids Produce Magnetocardiograms"
Physics News Update http://www.aip.org/enews/physnews/2003/split/644-2.html
July 9, 2003, Phil Schewe et al., "Mottness" Might Help to Explain Cuprate
Behavior," Physics News Update http://www.aip.org/enews/physnews/2003/split/645-2.html
July 16, 2003, Kim Krieger, "A Very Tolerant Superconductor," Phys.
Rev. Focus
http://focus.aps.org/story/v12/st2
July 29, 2003, Belle Dumé, "Superconductors could help Europe
meet Kyoto target," PhysicsWeb
http://physicsweb.org/article/news/7/7/20
August 6, 2003, Belle Dumé, "Archaeology turns to superconductivity,"
PhysicsWeb
http://physicsweb.org/article/news/7/8/3
August 7, 2003, Piers Coleman, "Superconductivity: Lifting the gossamer
veil," Nature 424, 625 (2003), doi:10.1038/424625a
http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nature/journal/v424/n6949/full/424625a_fs.html
August 14, 2003, Matthew W. Wald, "Company Plans Power 'Valve' Employing
Superconductors," New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/14/technology/14GRID.html
August 20, 2003, Michael Barbaro, "Selling the Public on More Lines:
Despite Needs, Many People Don't Want Cables, Towers Near Them," Washington
Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A17705-2003Aug19.html
August 25, 2003, Kenneth Chang, "Technology and Brain Power Used to
Tame an Aging Grid," New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/25/national/25POWE.html?hp
August 25, 2003, Janet Patten and Justin Schwartz, "Researchers set
new world records for high temperature superconducting magnet," NHMFL
Press Release
http://www.nhmfl.gov/news/pressreleases/082503.html
September 4, 2003, Phil Schewe et al., "Pressing Forward from Teeth
to Superconductors," Physics News Update
http://www.aip.org/enews/physnews/2003/split/652-2.html
October 3, 2003, Charles Seife, "Physics Tries to Leave the Tunnel,"
Science 302, 36 (2003)
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/302/5642/36
October 3, 2003, Jeffrey Mervis and Charles Seife, "Lots of Reasons,
But Few Lessons," Science 302, 38 (2003)
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/302/5642/38
October 3, 2003, Jeffrey Mervis, "Scientists Are Long Gone, But Bitter
Memories Remain," Science 302, 40 (2003)
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/302/5642/40
October 3, 2003, Jeffrey Mervis, "The Power of Words: The SSC in Literature,"
Science 302, 41 (2003)
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/302/5642/41
October 6, 2003, The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, "Press Release:
The 2003 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine"
http://www.nobel.se/medicine/laureates/2003/press.html
October 7, 2003, Phillip F. Schewe et al., "The 2003 Nobel Prize in
Physiology/Medicine," Physics News Update
http://www.aip.org/enews/physnews/2003/656.html
October 7, 2003, Phillip F. Schewe et al., "The 2003 Physics Nobel Prize,"
Physics News Update
http://www.aip.org/enews/physnews/2003/656.html
October 7, 2003, The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, "The 2003 Nobel
Prize in Physics," Press Release
http://www.nobel.se/physics/laureates/2003/press.html
October 8, 2003, Kenneth Chang, "Russian and 2 Americans Win Nobel Prize
Physics Honors," New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/08/science/08NOBE.html
October 9, 2003, Sarah Tomlin, "Super-cool theories secure physics prize,"
Nature 425, 548 (2003)
http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nature/journal/v425/n6958/full/425548a_fs.html
October 9, 2003, Helen Pearson, "Magnetic pioneers net Nobel for putting
medicine in the picture," Nature 425, 547 (2003), doi:10.1038/425547a
http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nature/journal/v425/n6958/full/425547a_fs.html
October 17, 2003, Gretchen Vogel, "2003 Nobel Prizes: Physicists Honored
for Their Medical Insights," Science 302, 382 (2003)
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/302/5644/382
October 17, 2003, Charles Seife, "2003 Nobel Prizes: Cool Theories Garner
Super Kudos," Science 302, 384 (2003)
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/302/5644/384
October 22, 2003, Belle Dumé, "Super-cool detector spots single
photons," PhysicsWeb
http://physicsweb.org/article/news/7/10/12
October 23, 2003, Daniel E. Prober, "Applied physics: To catch a photon,"
Nature 425, 777 (2003), doi:10.1038/425777a
http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nature/journal/v425/n6960/full/425777a_fs.html
October 28, 2003, David Lindley, "Nobel Focus: Helium Impersonates a
Superconductor," Physical Review Focus
http://focus.aps.org/story/v12/st16
November 6, 2003, Jim Giles, "Preprint server seeks way to halt plagiarists,"
Nature 426, 7 (2003), doi:10.1038/426007a
http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nature/journal/v426/n6962/full/426007a_fs.html
November 6, 2003, Jim Giles, "Critical comments threaten to open libel
floodgate for physics archive," Nature 426, 7 (2003), doi:10.1038/426007b
http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nature/journal/v426/n6962/full/426007b_fs.html
November 6, 2003, Jean Matricon and Georges Waysand's new book, "The
Cold Wars: A History of Superconductivity" (Rutgers University Press,
2003, $26) [http://rutgerspress.rutgers.edu/acatalog/__The_Cold_Wars_1253.html]
is reviewed by Philip W. Anderson, "The history of cool: A look back
at pioneering studies of quantum effects at low temperatures," Nature
426, 17 (2003), doi:10.1038/426017a
http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nature/journal/v426/n6962/full/426017a_fs.html
November 12, 2003, "American Superconductor Delivers New, Breakthrough
Transmission Grid Stabilization Product to Tennessee Valley Authority,"
press release
http://www.amsuper.com/html/newsEvents/news/106785329744.html
November 14, 2003, Charles Seife, "Competing Research Teams Create Long-Sought
State of Matter," Science 302, 1129 (2003)
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/302/5648/1129a?etoc
November 14, 2003, Hans Hilgenkamp, Victor V. Moshchalkov, and Peter
Kes, "Flux Quanta on the Move," Science 302, 1159 (2003)
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/302/5648/1159
November 19, 2003, Peter Rodgers, "Condensates enter new era," PhysicsWeb
http://physicsweb.org/article/news/7/11/9
November 20, 2003, Jonathan Knight, "Cornell axes Elsevier journals
as prices rise," Nature 426, 217 (2003), doi:10.1038/426217a
http://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nature/journal/v426/n6964/full/426217a_fs.html
November 25, 2003, Phillip F. Schewe, Ben Stein, and James Riordon,
"BEC Made From Fermion Molecules," Physics News Update
http://www.aip.org/enews/physnews/2003/663.html
December 12, 2003, Spencer Klein, "The Human Cost of the SSC," Science
302, 1893 (2003)
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/302/5652/1893b?etoc
December 12, 2003, David P. Vernon, "The Lesson of the SSC," Science
302, 1893 (2003)
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/302/5652/1893c?etoc
December 16, 2003, Belle Dumé, "Another superconductor shows
up," PhysicsWeb
http://physicsweb.org/article/news/7/12/7
By John R. Clem, Science Consultant
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