X-ray-diffraction and electrical-transport imaging of superconducting superhydride (La,Y)H10
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Understanding how microscopic structural domains govern macroscopic electronic properties is central to advancing hydride superconductors, yet such correlations remain poorly resolved under pressure. We report the synthesis and characterization of (La 0.9 Y 0.1 )H 10 superhydrides exhibiting coexisting cubic $${Fm}\bar{3}m$$ F m 3 ¯ m and hexagonal $$P{6}_{3}/{mmc}$$ P 6 3 / m m c clathrate phases observed over the pressure range from 168 GPa down to 136 GPa. Using synchrotron-based X-ray diffraction imaging at the upgraded Advanced Photon Source, we spatially resolved μm-scale distributions of these phases, revealing structural inhomogeneity across the sample. Four-probe resistance measurements confirmed superconductivity with two distinct transitions: an onset at 244 K associated with the cubic phase and a second near 220 K linked to the hexagonal phase. Notably, resistance profiles collected from multiple current and voltage permutations showed variations in transition width and onset temperature that correlated with the spatial phase distribution. These findings demonstrate a direct connection between local structural domains and superconducting behavior.
Source: Nature Communications
Language: English
Subfield: Geophysics
Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $6,990
Awards: G102163711, SEES: Community Driven Management of Synchrotron Facilities for Earth and Environmental Science, G1286251239, G1442196431, G2287611682, G2597208992, G262962599, HIGH ENERGY DENSITY QUANTUM MATTER, G309446158, G3318903820, G3343660, G3589692066, G38235069, G426311843, G4907255817, Renewal: Simple Molecular Systems at Ultrahigh Pressures, G498139845, G513797252, HIGH ENERGY DENSITY QUANTUM MATTER, G5387317844, G6848031779, G6918803902, G7583137537, G969889393, G993149817
OpenAlex ID: W4417464644