Superconductivity and Chemistry

Abstract The microscopic theory of superconductivity worked out by Bardeen, Cooper, and Schrieffer led to a fundamental understanding of the phenomenon. However, this theory does not provide a materials aspect. Starting from the special situation of chemical bonding in carbides and carbide halides of the rare earth metals a general view of the origin of superconductivity is developed, based on a tendency for (pairwise) localization of conduction electrons. This approach is tested in terms of special features in the electronic band structure and compared with existing physical models of electron pairing in real space. Its applicability to high‐temperature superconductors discovered during the last decade is discussed.