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Title: Evidence for Superconductivity above 260 K in Lanthanum Superhydride at Megabar Pressures

Journal Article · · Physical Review Letters
 [1];  [1];  [2];  [2];  [2];  [3];  [2];  [1]
  1. George Washington Univ., Washington, DC (United States)
  2. Carnegie Inst. of Washington, Washington, DC (United States)
  3. Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

Recent predictions and experimental observations of high Tc 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. This research was supported by EFree, an Energy Frontier Research Center funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences (BES), under Award DE-SC0001057. The instrumentation and facilities used were supported by DOE/BES (DE-FG02-99ER45775, VVS), the U.S. DOE/National Nuclear Security Administration (DE-NA-0002006, CDAC; and DE-NA0001974, HPCAT), and the National Science Foundation (DMR-1809783). The Advanced Photon Source is operated by the DOE Office of Science by Argonne National Laboratory under Contract DE-AC02-06CH11357.

Research Organization:
Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC) (United States). Energy Frontier Research in Extreme Environments (EFree); Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States); George Washington Univ., Washington, DC (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES); USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-06CH11357; SC0001057; FG02-99ER45775; NA0002006; NA0001974; NA0003858
OSTI ID:
1510041
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1492132; OSTI ID: 1494056; OSTI ID: 1581177
Report Number(s):
arXiv:1808.07695; FERMILAB-PUB-19-158-TD; PRLTAO; 1728093
Journal Information:
Physical Review Letters, Vol. 122, Issue 2; ISSN 0031-9007
Publisher:
American Physical Society (APS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 693 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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