High-T C Superconductivity in Hydrogen Clathrates Mediated by Coulomb Interactions Between Hydrogen and Central-Atom Electrons

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

10-1-2020

Abstract

The uniquely characteristic macrostructures of binary hydrogen-clathrate compounds MHn formed at high pressure, a cage of hydrogens surrounding a central-atom host, is theoretically predicted in various studies to include structurally stable phonon-mediated superconductors. High superconductive transition temperatures TC have thus far been measured for syntheses with M = La, Y, and Th. In compressed LaH10, independent studies report TC of 250 K and over 260 K, a maximum in TC with pressure P, and normal-state resistance scaling with temperature (suggesting unconventional pairing). According to reported band structure calculations of Fm3 ¯ m-phase LaH10, the La is anionic, with the chemical valence electrons appearing evenly split between La and H10. Thus, compressed LaH10 contains the combination of structure, charge separation, and optimal balanced allocation of valence electrons for supporting unconventional high-TC superconductivity mediated by Coulomb interactions between electronic charges associated with La and H10. A general expression for the optimal superconducting transition temperature for MHn clathrates is derived as TC0 = kB−1Λ[(n + v)/2A]1/2e2/ζ, where Λ is a universal constant, (n + v) is the chemical valence sum per formula unit, taking unity for H and v for atom M, A is the surface area of the H-polyhedron cage, and ζ is the mean distance between the M site and the centroids of the polyhedron faces. Applied to Fm3 ¯ m LaH10, TC0 values of 249.8(1.3) K and 260.7(2.0) K are found for the two experiments. Associated attributes of charge allocation, structure, effective Coulomb potential, and H-D isotope effect in TC of Fm3 ¯ m LaH10 and Im3 ¯ m H3S are discussed, along with a generalized prospective for Coulomb-mediated superconductivity in MHn.

Identifier

85087655057 (Scopus)

Publication Title

Journal of Superconductivity and Novel Magnetism

External Full Text Location

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10948-020-05557-4

e-ISSN

15571947

ISSN

15571939

First Page

2945

Last Page

2961

Issue

10

Volume

33

Grant

PL-206

Fund Ref

University of Notre Dame

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS