Imaging magnetic flux trapping in lanthanum hydride using diamond quantum sensors

TL;DR

This study uses advanced diamond quantum sensors to image magnetic flux trapping in lanthanum hydride at ultrahigh pressures, providing evidence of superconductivity and revealing inhomogeneities within the sample.

Contribution

It extends the pressure range of NV center sensors to nearly 200 GPa and applies them to directly observe the Meissner effect in lanthanum hydride.

Findings

Observation of magnetic shielding indicating superconductivity.

Detection of flux trapping and inhomogeneities.

Transition temperature between 180 K and 220 K.

Abstract

Lanthanum hydride has attracted significant attention in recent years due to its signatures of superconductivity at around 250 K (1, 2). However, the megabar pressures required for synthesize and maintain its state present extraordinary challenges for experiments, particularly in characterizing its Meissner effect (3, 4). The nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center in diamond has emerged as a promising quantum probe to address this problem (5-8), but a gap remains between its working pressure and the pressure required to study the superconducting state of lanthanum hydride (9-12). In this work, using neon gas as the pressure transmitting medium, the working pressure of NV centers is extended to nearly 200 GPa. This quantum probe is then applied to study the Meissner effect of a LaH$_{9.6}$ sample, synthesized by laser heating ammonia borane and lanthanum. A strong magnetic shielding effect is observed, with the transition temperature beginning at around 180 K and completing at 220 K. In addition, magnetic field imaging after field cooling reveals strong flux trapping and significant inhomogeneities within the sample. Our work provides compelling evidence for superconductivity in lanthanum hydride and highlights the importance of spatially resolved techniques in characterizing samples under ultrahigh pressure conditions.