2017/11/30 by Alexander G. Kvashnin, Dmitrii V. Semenok, Dmitry V. Semenok +3
Earth and Planetary Sciences · Materials Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Condensed matter physics #Engineering physics #High-pressure geophysics and materials #High-temperature superconductivity #Materials science #Nuclear Materials and Properties #Physics #Rare-earth and actinide compounds #Room-temperature superconductor #Superconductivity #cond-mat.supr-con
paper · pdf · doi:10.1021/acsami.8b17100
11 pages, 4 figures, 2 table, Supporting Information
arxiv created 2018/09/12 · openalex publication_date 2018/12/04 · arxiv updated 2018/12/11 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
New stable phase thorium decahydride Fm 3̅ m -ThH 10, a high-temperature superconductor with T C up to 241 K (−32 °C), critical field H C up to 71 T, and superconducting gap Δ 0 of 52 meV at 80–100 GPa, is predicted by evolutionary algorithm USPEX. Another phase, P 2 1 / c -ThH 7, is found to be a superconductor with T C of 62 K. Analysis of the superconducting state was performed within Eliashberg formalism, and H C ( T ), Δ( T ), and T C ( P ) functions with a jump in the specific heat at critical temperature were calculated. Several other new thorium hydrides were predicted to be stable under pressure, including ThH 3, Th 3 H 10, ThH 4, and ThH 6 . Thorium (which has s 2 d 2 electronic configuration) forms high- T C polyhydrides similar to those formed by s 2 d 1 metals (Y–La–Ac). Thorium belongs to the Mg–Ca–Sc–Y–La–Ac family of elements forming high- T C superconducting hydrides.