Optics, Physiological

Why are cuprates the only high-temperature superconductors?

“…One of the noteworthy features of the present model is that it readily explains the dramatic scalar lattice constant correlation [5] shown in Fig. 1, which is also a considerable improvement over the possibly more natural angular bending correlations [9] shown in Fig.…”

“…1. Sketch of the bulges (lightly shaded) in basal area of CuO 2 planes, as displayed, together with original data, in [5]. The sketch here refers to (Y,Ca)Ba 2 Cu 3 O x and HgBa 2 CaCu 2 O x , where the magnitude of the bulge is about twice as large as in La 2-x Sr x CuO 4 , corresponding to stronger e-p interactions and higher T c in the former.…”

“…These superconductive correlations are unrelated to the presence of magnetic nanodomains [5], which represent an incidental secondary phase.…”

“…Atomic networks with a large variety of instabilities and local topologies are achieved in good glass formers, in other words, network glasses, which are space-filling when quenched from the melt. The mean-field theory of elastic networks, originally developed by Maxwell to discuss the stability of scaffolds, and recently applied to glassy atomic networks [5] This model explains the bulge in the phase diagrams of ab basal areas of CuO2 planes of LSCO and Hg cuprates associated with the intermediate superconductive phase [6]. The general shape of this bulge is quadrilateral, with a gradual rise above background with doping as Tc increases to its maximum value, followed by a sharp drop in the second spinodal region (Fig.…”

“…Atomic networks with a large variety of instabilities and local topologies are achieved in good glass formers, in other words, network glasses, which are space-filling when quenched from the melt. The mean-field theory of elastic networks, originally developed by Maxwell to discuss the stability of scaffolds, and recently applied to glassy atomic networks [5] by Phillips and Thorpe, then explains the remarkable superconductive properties of cuprates as the result of giant electron-phonon interactions in a marginally unstable mechanical network. The overall network is stabilized by isostatic CuO2 planes.…”