Superconductivity is a fascinating quantum phenomenon of current flowing through an electric conductor without energy losses. It was discovered in 1911 by Kammerling-Onnes in several metals at temperatures close to the absolute zero. Ever since, leading physicists of every generation have been trying to better understand this phenomenon and to bring the superconducting transition closer to the room temperature. In 1986, Bednorz and Mueller discovered superconductivity in cuprates – the family of materials currently exhibiting the highest superconducting transition temperatures at atmospheric pressure – about one third of the room temperature in absolute units.
Establishing the mechanism of superconductivity in cuprates and similar families of high-temperature superconductors remains a major challenge for solid-state physics. The goal of the present symposium is to provide venue for discussions of the recent progress on the subject, with a particular focus on on the following topics: