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High-temperature conventional superconductivity

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Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Joh.-Joachim-Becher-Weg 27, Mainz, 55128, Germany

Conventional superconductors are described well by the Bardeen—Cooper—Schrieffer (BCS) theory (1957) and its related theories, all of which importantly put no explicit limit on Tc. While this allows in principle for room temperature superconductivity, no such phenomenon has been observed. Since the discovery of superconductivity in 1911, the measured critical temperature of BCS superconductors has not until recently exceeded 39 K. In 2014, hydrogen sulfide at high pressure was experimentally found to show superconductivity at Tc=200 K, a record high value which greatly exceeds that of the previous class of high-temperature superconductors, the cuprates. The superconductivity mechanism in cuprates is not yet explained. Over the period of 25 years, the critical temperature of cuprates has not been increased above 164 K. The paper reviews research on record-high Tc superconductivity in hydrogen sulphide and other hydrides. Prospects for increasing Tc to room temperature are also discussed.

Fulltext pdf (442 KB)
Fulltext is also available at DOI: 10.3367/UFNe.2016.09.037921
Keywords: high-temperature superconductivity, high pressures, hydrides
PACS: 74.20.Fg, 74.62.Fj, 74.70.−b (all)
DOI: 10.3367/UFNe.2016.09.037921
URL: https://ufn.ru/en/articles/2016/11/d/
000396002700004
2-s2.0-85012951083
2016PhyU...59.1154E
Citation: Eremets M I, Drozdov A P "High-temperature conventional superconductivity" Phys. Usp. 59 1154–1160 (2016)
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Received: 16th, June 2016, 20th, September 2016

Оригинал: Еремец М И, Дроздов А П «Высокотемпературные обычные сверхпроводники» УФН 186 1257–1263 (2016); DOI: 10.3367/UFNr.2016.09.037921

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