SMALL-SCALE APPLICATIONS OF HIGH AND LOW-TEMPERATURE SUPERCONDUCTORS

This review discusses a wide range of passive and active superconducting devices and their applications. After a discussion of some of the fundamental ideas, the technological achievements which have been possible using traditional, low temperature superconductors are summarized. However, the main emphasis is on the astonishing progress which has been made during the last three years using the new high temperature superconducting materials. A wide variety of devices, including SQUIDs and sensors, has been demonstrated, and the prospects for high performance versions of known superconducting devices - but which operate at 77 K - as well as for completely new devices are extremely good.