Prediction of Room-Temperature Superconductivity in Quasi-atomic H2-Type Hydrides at High Pressure

Abstract

Achieving superconductivity at room temperature (RT) is a holy grail in physics. Recent discoveries on high-Tc superconductivity in binary hydrides H3S and LaH10 at high pressure have directed the search for RT superconductors to compress hydrides with conventional electron-phonon mechanisms. Here, we predict an exceptional family of superhydrides under high pressures, MH12 (M = Mg, Sc, Zr, Hf, Lu), all exhibiting RT superconductivity with calculated Tcs ranging from 313 to 398 K. In contrast to H3S and LaH10, the hydrogen sublattice in MH12 is arranged as quasi-atomic H2 units. This unique configuration is closely associated with high Tc, attributed to the high electronic density of states derived from H2 antibonding states at the Fermi level and the strong electron-phonon coupling related to the bending vibration of H2 and H-M-H. Notably, MgH12 and ScH12 remain dynamically stable even at pressure below 100 GPa. Our findings offer crucial insights into achieving RT superconductivity and pave the way for innovative directions in experimental research.