Today we will have a discussion on "Is there a role of electronic structure calculations in the search for higher Tc superconductors?" To motivate the discussion, below I list the questions that Peter Hirschfeld presented to the Materials Theory session at our program's conference earlier this summer. I offer them as a starting point. We also welcome proposed additions and/or changes. In particular, we welcome request to give any relevant short presentations. I will begin with a short presentation on the experimental programs that are beginning in the US searching for higher Tc superconductors.

          --Mac

P.S. We know that there are folks out in the virtual world who are following the Program. If you want to send along any comments, please feel free. We will work them into the discussion.

Hirschfeld's Question to Materials Theory Session of Program Conference:

• What are the prospects for direct Eliashberg-style 1st principles computation of pairing interaction in electronic pairing systems with weak-intermediate strength interactions?
• In the absence of such tools, how can theory guide the search for higher Tc?
• In the cuprate and other strongly correlated materials, are there issues where traditional DFT calculations can contribute, where strong correlations play a less important role?
• What are the prospects of applying current methods to problems of inhomogeneous superconductivity in real materials: surfaces, grain boundaries and Josephson junctions & ?
• If you look into the future 5 years and assume continued improvements in computer speed and memory, what superconductivity problems could one tackle which are out of reach now?