Optical properties of superconducting pressurized LaH10

S. F. Elatresh; T. Timusk; E. J. Nicol

doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.102.024501

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Optical properties of superconducting pressurized LaH10

S. F. Elatresh, T. Timusk, E. J. Nicol

DOI 10.1103/PhysRevB.102.024501 · Physical Review B

T1

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Abstract

Recently superconductivity has been discovered at around 200 K in a hydrogen sulfide system and around 260 K in a lanthanum hydride system, both under pressures of about 200 GPa. These record-breaking transition temperatures bring within reach the long-term goal of obtaining room-temperature superconductivity. We have used first-principles calculations based on density functional theory along with Migdal-Eliashberg theory to investigate the electron-phonon mechanism for superconductivity in the Fm3¯m phase proposed for the LaH10 superconductor. We show that the very high transition temperature Tc results from a highly optimized electron-phonon interaction that favors coupling to high-frequency hydrogen phonons. Various superconducting properties are calculated, such as the energy gap, the isotope effect, the specific heat jump at Tc, the thermodynamic critical field, and the temperature-dependent penetration depth. However, our main emphasis is on the finite-frequency optical properties, measurement of which may allow for an independent determination of Tc and also a confirmation of the mechanism for superconductivity.

Source-reported materials — not catalogue approval

Formula	Reported Tc (K)	Pressure (GPa)	Type
LaH10 Archive — visibility unverified Source-occurrence policy only; no material identity or catalogue acceptance is inferred from the formula.	274	210 GPa	unknown
LaH10 Archive — visibility unverified Source-occurrence policy only; no material identity or catalogue acceptance is inferred from the formula.	260	190 GPa	unknown
LaH10 Archive — visibility unverified Source-occurrence policy only; no material identity or catalogue acceptance is inferred from the formula.	250	170 GPa	unknown
H3S Archive — visibility unverified Source-occurrence policy only; no material identity or catalogue acceptance is inferred from the formula.	203	155 GPa	unknown
H2S Archive — visibility unverified Source-occurrence policy only; no material identity or catalogue acceptance is inferred from the formula.	80	160 GPa	unknown
MgH6 Archive — visibility unverified Source-occurrence policy only; no material identity or catalogue acceptance is inferred from the formula.	271	300 GPa	unknown
CaH6 Archive — visibility unverified Source-occurrence policy only; no material identity or catalogue acceptance is inferred from the formula.	235	150 GPa	unknown
YH6 Archive — visibility unverified Source-occurrence policy only; no material identity or catalogue acceptance is inferred from the formula.	264	120 GPa	unknown
YH10 Archive — visibility unverified Source-occurrence policy only; no material identity or catalogue acceptance is inferred from the formula.	303	400 GPa	unknown