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Theoretical Predictions of Superconductivity in Alkali Metals under High Pressure

Lei Shi·Dimitrios A. Papaconstantopoulos
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Abstract

We calculated the superconductivity properties of alkali metals under high pressure using the results of band theory and the rigid-muffin-tin theory of Gaspari and Gyorffy. Our results suggest that at high pressures Lithium, Potassium, Rubidium and Cesium would be superconductors with transition temperatures approaching $5-20 K$. Our calculations also suggest that Sodium would not be a superconductor under high pressure even if compressed to less than half of its equilibrium volume. We found that the compression of the lattice strengthens the electron-phonon coupling through a delicately balanced increase of both the electronic and phononic components of this coupling. This increase of the electron-phonon coupling in Li is due to an enhancement of the $s$-$p$ channel of the interaction, while in the heavier elements the $p$-$d$ channel is the dominant component.

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Lei Shi, Dimitrios A. Papaconstantopoulos. 2006-04-11. Theoretical Predictions of Superconductivity in Alkali Metals under High Pressure. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevb.73.184516

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