Emergent Mott Insulators and Possibility of High Tc Superconductivity in Pressurized Molecular Solids, H2S, SiH4, H2 etc

TL;DR

This paper proposes that pressurized molecular solids like H2S, SiH4, and H2 can host emergent Mott insulators which may lead to high-temperature superconductivity, supported by a new theoretical framework.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of emergent Mott insulators in pressurized molecular solids and presents a theory explaining high Tc superconductivity in these systems.

Findings

Emergent Mott insulators may exist in pressurized molecular solids.

The theory explains high Tc superconductivity in H2S and other systems.

Proposed sublattice of narrow band H atoms supports pairing mechanisms.

Abstract

Paired valence electrons forming covalent bonds in molecues are confined cooper pair correlations. High pressure dissociates molecules in solid H2S, SiH4, H2 etc. and form extended structures. However, valence electrons are resilient and continue to bond and sometimes resonate. It is suggested that some structures contain emergent Mott insulators (EMI) and support superconductivity and other phases, under special conditions. In pressurized solid H2S, we propose presence of a sublattice of relatively narrow, nearly half filled band of H atoms, trapped in ordered interstitials of colvalently bonded S atom network. EMI offers a high pairing energy scale. A theory for recently claimed superconductivity in solid \hsm (Tc ~ 205 K), Silane (Tc ~ 17 K$), and systems like H2 is presented.