Critical parameters of superconducting materials and structures

We report here the completion of a one year project to investigate the synthesis, electronic structure, defect structure, and physical transport properties of high temperature superconducting oxide materials. During the course of this project we produced some of the finest samples of single crystal detwinned YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7}, and stoichiometrically perfect (Ba,K)BiO{sub 3}. We deduced the Fermi surface of YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7}, (La,Sr){sub 2}CuO{sub 4}, and (Ba,K)BiO{sub 3} through the recording of the electron momentum density in these materials as measured by positron annihilation spectroscopy and angle resolved photoemission. We also performed extensive studies on Pr substituted (Y,Pr)Ba{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7} so as to further understand the origin of the electron pairing leading to superconductivity.