Preface

Abstract

I was very pleased to hear that the ISEC special issue would be published in Superconductor Science and Technology based on papers presented at ISEC '95. ISEC (International Superconductive Electronics Conference) was first initiated in Tokyo, 1987, as an international conference to discuss topics specifically related to superconducting electronics. ISEC '95, the fifth in the series of conferences held every two years, took place in Nagoya, Japan on 18-21 September 1995. Superconductors have created growing interest as key materials in opening up new technologies for the next generation, where electronics will become the major application field of superconductors. Superconducting electronics are expected to provide a new electronics technology with advantages in speed, power consumption, and sensitivity in comparison with existing semiconductor electronics. Recently, much progress has been made in devices based on both high and low temperature superconductors. SQUIDs made from high temperature superconductors (HTS) have improved sensitivities and are almost of commercial standard. HTS microwave components such as filters, resonators and delay lines have been proving their high performances and drawing the attention of microwave designers in communication fields. In the field of low temperature superconductors (LTS), by taking advantage of the integration technology of junctions, chips for digital applications such as digital signal processing have been successfully operated at high speeds and low power consumptions. At ISEC '95, more than 200 papers were presented in sessions on junctions, digital applications, SQUIDs, hybrids and three-terminal devices, detectors, rf passive devices and microwave devices. ISEC has no policy to publish its own proceedings, but only publishes the extended abstracts delivered at the on-site desk. It is very helpful for participants to have an opportunity to publish their papers in this special issue of Superconductor Science and Technology. I hope this special issue will be useful for readers of the journal and participants of ISEC '95. Finally, I would like to express my thanks to the referees, editors of the journal and Institute of Physics Publishing for their efforts to publish this issue. Hisao Hayakawa Chairman of ISEC '95 12 January 1996