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New Mexico Section Hosts Regional Conference on High T c Superconducting Materials A very successful two-day workshop on "Developments in High-Temperature Superconducting Materials" was held October 1-2, 1987 at the Eldorado Hotel, Santa re, New Mexico. Sponsored by the New Mexico Section of the Materials Research Society, the meeting attracted significant regional and even national attention. Approximately 200 scientists attended, some coming from the East and West Coasts. Over 40 papers were presented, covering new developments in theory, material properties, ceramic processing, single crystals, thick and thin film fabrication, and characterization of high Tc superconductors. In addition, more than 20 poster papers featured "late news" developments in a highly successful evening session. A literature exhibit by equipment, service, and material suppliers whose products are related to research in superconducting materials was held concurrent with the meeting. Eighteen exhibitors took advantage of this "miniequipment and manufacturers show" coordinated by Vivienne Harwood Mattox (MRS Short Course Manager). The meeting, run as a blend between a conventional conference and a Gordonstyle workshop, was organized by Harold Anderson (University of New Mexico), George Samara (Sandia National Laboratories), and Michael Nastasi (Los Alamos National Laboratory), executive officers of the New Mexico Section. The format allowed for a discussion period after a set of talks in a given topical area. In these periods, individuals could present data and counter points. The participants needed no encouragement to use the podium in this regard, and their comments and insight greatly added to the quality of the program. The opening plenary session highlighting the recent discoveries in high Tc superconductors featured a panel made up of J.E. Schirber (Sandia National Laboratories), J.L. Smith (Los Alamos National Laboratory), D. Spreen (Air Force Weapons Laboratory), S.R.J. Brueck (University of New Mexico), R.H. Hammond (Stanford University), C. Falco (University of Arizona), and J.S. Riley (Colorado State University). The presentations immediately sparked lively and often excited discussion. The influence of twinning on the superconducting properties of the material and claims of superconductivity near room temperature in new phases of the rare earth, barium-copper oxides evoked the greatest controversy. MRS BULLETIN/FEBRUARY 1988
For many attendees, the major revelations involved the apparent technological strides being made in the fabrication of high quality ceramic oxide superconductors. R.H. Hammond and C. Falco, for example, reported success in the ability to repeatably grow high quality thin films of the 1-2-3 ceramic oxide superconductors on a variety of substrates. Hammond's films were shown to have critical current densities comparable to those previously reported by IBM researchers. Falco demonstrated that a variety of buffer layers could be used to isolate the superconducting film from the influence of an underlying subst
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