Abstract
Recent predictions and experimental observations of high superconductivity in hydrogen-rich materials at very high pressures are driving the search for superconductivity in the vicinity of room temperature. We have developed a novel preparation technique that is optimally suited for megabar pressure syntheses of superhydrides using modulated laser heating while maintaining the integrity of sample-probe contacts for electrical transport measurements to 200 GPa. We detail the synthesis and characterization of lanthanum superhydride samples, including four-probe electrical transport measurements that display significant drops in resistivity on cooling up to 260 K and 180–200 GPa, and resistivity transitions at both lower and higher temperatures in other experiments. Additional current-voltage measurements, critical current estimates, and low-temperature x-ray diffraction are also obtained. We suggest that the transitions represent signatures of superconductivity to near room temperature in phases of lanthanum superhydride, in good agreement with density functional structure search and BCS theory calculations.
- Received 23 August 2018
- Revised 3 December 2018
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.122.027001
© 2019 American Physical Society
Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)
Viewpoint
Pushing Towards Room-Temperature Superconductivity
Published 14 January 2019
Two independent studies report superconductivity at record high temperatures in hydrogen-rich materials under extreme pressure.
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