Magnesium, diboride: basic physical properties and high upper critical field anisotropy

We will briefly outline recent work done by the Ames Laboratory group and collaborators on synthesis and physical properties of newly discovered intermetallic superconductor, MgB2 (T-c approximate to 40 K), produced in the form of sintered powder and wire segments with the emphasis to be on recent results that indicate that MgB2 may well have significant anisotropies associated with the superconducting state. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.