Photothermal imaging of high Tc superconductor

The authors have demonstrated the ability to make high-resolution thermal conductivity measurements of ceramic superconductors. The technique is nondestructive, has submicron resolution, and can measure the conductivity in a specified direction. The authors have measured the anisotropy in thermal conductivity of Bi₂Sr₂CaCu ₂O_x and found that the conduction along the Cu-O planes is six times greater than in the perpendicular direction. By incorporating refrigeration in their setup, they plan to measure the full, anisotropic thermal conductivity as a function of temperature, with particular emphasis on the behavior near T_c