ABSTRACT
Ever since the discovery of superconductivity, the technological value of zero electrical resistance has been recognized. This has spurred the search among physicists and material scientists for the "Holy Grail," high-temperature superconductivity. "High-temperature" in this context is, of course, not well defined. This chapter reviews superconductivity by presenting a summary of basic superconductor properties with which the reader should be familiar in order to comprehend any discussion of superconductors, ceramic or otherwise. It gives a brief introduction to standard (BCS) superconductivity theory and describes some of the ideas and theories subsequently suggested to lead to higher Tcs than standard BCS. In characterizing a new superconductor, one wishes to determine how the electrical resistivity and magnetization vary as functions of temperature, magnetic field, and current density.
