Superconductivity in Zirconium Polyhydrides with Tc above 70 K

TL;DR

This paper reports the experimental discovery of zirconium polyhydrides exhibiting superconductivity with a critical temperature above 70 K, achieved under extreme high-pressure and high-temperature conditions, marking a record for 3d transition metal hydrides.

Contribution

The study provides the first experimental evidence of high-temperature superconductivity in zirconium polyhydrides synthesized at extreme pressures and temperatures.

Findings

Superconductivity observed above 70 K in zirconium polyhydrides.

Superconducting phase stable at high pressure after quenching.

Record high Tc for 3d transition metal hydrides.

Abstract

We report the experimental discovery of superconductivity with critical temperature Tc above 70 K in zirconium polyhydrides, the record high so far for 3d transition metal hydrides. The superconducting zirconium polyhydrides are synthesized at the extreme conditions above 200 GPa & 2000 K by using diamond anvil cell combined with in-situ laser heating. Superconductivity was observed in the samples maintained at the same pressure upon quenched from heating.