ABSTRACT
The thallium-based superconducting copper oxides discovered in 1988 hold a unique position among the cuprates in that they collectively have the highest reported transition temperatures. Several of the various compounds that fall in this class have Tc s that are well above 100 K. It is in this regard that there is a considerable amount of government-sponsored research into developing these materials into useful forms so that they can form the basis of a robust superconducting technology. The Strategic Defense Initiative Organization has a reasonably large program to look at superconducting materials and develop devices from the most promising materials. As far as the individual services go, the Department of the Navy has the largest program in superconductivity. Currently, a program is starting to understand the pinning properties of the one thallium oxide layer cuprates and subsequently try to develop a superconducting conductor technology based on these materials. This has the potential of a several-person-year effort.
