Mapping High-Temperature Superconductors - A Scientometric Approach

TL;DR

This paper uses scientometric methods to analyze research trends, compound diversity, and publication patterns in high-temperature superconductivity, highlighting a decline in basic research and identifying characteristic element patterns.

Contribution

It demonstrates the application of modern databases and scientometric analysis to map research activity and compound diversity in high-temperature superconductors.

Findings

Significant decrease in basic research activity over time

Identification of characteristic element patterns in compounds

Analysis of publication trends related to MgB2

Abstract

This study has been carried out to analyze the research field of high-temperature superconductivity and to demonstrate the potential of modern databases and search systems for generating meta-information. The alkaline earth (A2) rare earth (RE) cuprate high-temperature superconductors as a typical inorganic compound family and the corresponding literature were analyzed by scientometric methods. The time-dependent overall number of articles and patents and of the publications related to specific compound subsets and subject categories are given. The data reveal a significant decrease of basic research activity in this research field. The A2 RE cuprate species covered by the CAS compound file were analyzed with respect to the occurrence of specific elements in order to visualize known and unknown substances and to identify characteristic patterns. The quaternary and quinternary cuprates were selected and the number of compound species as function of specific combinations of A2 and RE elements is given. The Cu/O and RE/A2 ratios of the quaternary cuprate species as function of A2 and RE atoms are shown. In addition, the research landscape of the MgB2 related publications was established using STN AnaVist, an analysis tool recently developed by STN International.