1986 A landmark in the research of superconductivity: From elemental and simple crystalline systems to complex oxide ceramics (Topical review)

Celebrating 40 years of superconductivity in ceramic oxides, we review the history and milestones, beginning in 1986, the year of the discovery, until today. While the first years after the discovery were marked by almost daily news on cuprate oxides with enthusiastic developments and hopes for rapid applications, nowadays the interest has decreased, but the electron pairing mechanism remains a matter of debate. What has happened in these 40 years and what can be expected for the future?