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Crystal structure of the Fm-3m phase of LaH10, where a highly symmetric hydrogen cage encloses the lanthanum atoms. In the top a sketch of the complex classical energy landscape is shown, where many minima are present. On the other hand, in the bottom we see a sketch of the completely reshaped much simpler quantum energy landscape, where only one minimum survives. (UPV/EHU)
Spain: Physics

Superconductivity at Room Temperature Gets One Step Closer

Calculations performed by an international team of researchers from Spain, Italy, France, Germany, and Japan show that the crystal structure of the record superconducting LaH10 compound is stabilized by atomic quantum fluctuations. This result suggests that superconductivity approaching room temperature may be possible in hydrogen-rich compounds at much lower pressures than previously expected with classical calculations.

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