A Phase Transition Approach to High Temperature Superconductivity: Universal Properties of Cuprate Superconductors

During the past decade, a great deal of experimental data has been gathered on the superconductivity of cuprates. Although the fundamental mechanisms are still unclear, the authors feel that the overall experimental situation is cleat enough to present a graduate-level textbook from the phase transition point of view. They survey and identify thermal and quantum fluctuation effects, identify material independent universal properties, and provide constraints for the microscopic description of the various phenomena. Brief introductory chapters offer background information on the theory of thermal and quantum critical phenomena. Distributed by World Scientific. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)