“…Oxides such as BaPbl_xBixO 3 and LiTi204 had transition temperatures of "-,13 K. The discovery of superconductivity around 30 K in the La-Ba-Cu-O family (Bednorz & MUller, 1986) completely changed the situation. Since then a variety of cuprate superconductors with transition temperatures up to 150K have been synthesized and characterized (Rao, 1991a;Raveau, Michel, Hervieu & Groult, 1991;Nunez-Regueiro, Tholence, Antipov, Capponi & Marezio, 1993). The structures of these materials have been extensively investigated by X-ray and neutron diffraction techniques (especially powder profile analysis) and high-resolution electron microscopy.…”