High Pressure Superconducting transition in Dihydride BiH$_2$ with Bismuth Open-Channel Framework

TL;DR

This study reports the synthesis of a novel high-pressure bismuth dihydride superconductor with a unique open-channel structure, demonstrating superconductivity at 62 K and emphasizing the role of non-hydrogen elements in high-Tc hydrides.

Contribution

It introduces a new BiH₂ superconductor with a distinctive open-channel framework, expanding the structural diversity and understanding of high-pressure hydride superconductors.

Findings

Superconductivity observed at 62 K in BiH₂ at 163 GPa.

Unique host-guest structure with open channels encapsulating H₂-like molecules.

Open-channel structure contributes significantly to electronic conduction and superconductivity.

Abstract

Metal hydrides MHx with low hydrogen content are not expected to show high-Tc superconductivity owing to the low hydrogen-derived electronic density of states at Fermi level and the limited hydrogen contribution to electron-phonon coupling strength. In this work, we report on the successful synthesis of a novel bismuth dihydride superconductor, Cmcm-BiH$_2$, at approximately 150 GPa, and the discovery of superconductivity with Tc about 62 K at 163 GPa, marking the first instance of superconductor among the MH$_2$-type metal dihydrides. Cmcm-BiH$_2$ adopts a unique host-guest type structure, in which the Bi atoms via weak Bi-Bi covalent bonds form a three-dimensional open-channel framework that encapsulates H$_2$-like molecules as guests, thereby broadening the structural diversity of hydrides under high pressures. The occurrence of superconductivity is evidenced by a sharp drop of resistivity to zero and the characteristic downward shift of Tc under applied magnetic fields. Notably, Cmcm-BiH$_2$ remains stable down to at least 97 GPa during decompression, with the calculated lowest pressure for dynamic stability of 10 GPa. In-depth analysis reveals that the covalent bismuth open-channel structure forms metallic conduction channels, dominates the electronic states near the Fermi level, and contributes approximately 51% of the total $lambda$ in Cmcm-BiH$_2$, distinguishing it from known high-pressure hydride superconductors. These findings highlight the critical role of non-hydrogen elements in producing superconductivity and open new avenues for the design and optimization of high-Tc hydride superconductors.