In search for near-room-temperature superconducting critical temperature of metal superhydrides under high pressure: A review

Abstract

An overview and the latest status of the superconductivity of metal superhydrides under high pressure are discussed in this review article. The searching for near-room-temperature superconductors have been one of the most enthusiastic fields in physics. This is because of several key factors in both theoretical and experimental sides. By advanced experiment innovation, pressure exceeded that of the earth’s core can be generated in laboratories. This allows scientists to explore new physics of materials under high pressure. In the synergy form, the theoretical calculation gives accountable predictions on the structural and electronic properties which can be served as a practical map for experimentalists. In this review, I also give a brief overview on the existing theory of superconductivity which leads to the calculation of the superconducting critical temperature, Tc. The key element for calculating Tc is stemmed from the so-called spectral function, which can now be evaluated from the density functional theory. In order to obtain insight information and gain deeper understanding, I model the spectral function with a simple constant function. This analysis gives a powerful suggestion on the way to search for a higher value of Tc.