Abstract

After the seminal discovery of the 30's K high temperature superconductor of Ba-doped La2CuO4 (214) in mid-1986 and the observation of unstable superconductivity in the range of 70 – 90's K in late 1986, superconductivity in the 90's K was stabilized and unambiguously detected in YBa2Cu3O7 (YBCO or 123) in early 1987. The discovery of YBCO, the first stable liquid nitrogen superconductor, heralds in the modern era of high temperature superconductivity (HTS) and represents one of the most exciting developments in modern physics with profound implications in condensed matter science and superconducting technologies. Following the extensive studies worldwide and the discovery of many more HTS compounds in the last 20 years, it has been demonstrated that YBCO is the most desirable HTS compounds for practical superconducting applications above liquid nitrogen temperature. In the talk, the speaker will first briefly describe some events in the long search for superconductors with a higher transition temperature (Tc) before 1986 that are important to later progress in HTS. He will then recall some important courses taken in 1986 after the discovery of 214, crucial steps adopted in 1987 that led to the discovery of YBCO, and interesting episodes immediately after the discovery. He will also summarize what he has learned about HTS science and materials from YBCO, what promises YBCO holds for superconducting applications, especially in solving the most serious constrain for the future sustainable economic development in China, and what challenges we face for the full deployment of HTS. Finally, he will briefly touch upon the general conditions conducive to innovation and creativity that are crucial to the development of a knowledge-based society for the new millennium.

Biography

Prof Paul Ching-Wu Chu joined HKUST in July 2001 as President and Professor of Physics. Born in Hunan, China in 1941, Prof Chu received his BS degree from Cheng-Kung University in Taiwan in 1962. He earned his MS degree from Fordham University, New York in 1965, and completed his PhD degree at the University of California at San Diego in 1968. All of his three degrees are in physics. Prof Chu has received numerous awards and honors for his outstanding work in superconductivity, including the US National Medal of Science and the International Prize for New Materials. He was an invited contributor to the White House National Millennium Time Capsule at the National Archives in 2000 and was selected the Best Researcher in the US by US News and World Report in 1990. He is a member of the US National Academy of Sciences, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (foreign member), Academia Sinica and The Academy of Sciences for the Developing World; and a Fellow of the Russian Academy of Engineering. His research activities extend beyond superconductivity to magnetism and dielectrics. His work has resulted in the publication of more than 460 papers in refereed journals.