Comparison of highly-compressedC2/m-SnH₁₂superhydride with conventional superconductors

Area of Science:

• Condensed Matter Physics
• Materials Science
• Superconductivity

Background:

• Theoretical predictions suggested high-temperature superconductivity in hydrogen-rich alloys due to high Debye frequency.
• Experimental discovery of near-room-temperature superconductivity in compressed H3S confirmed these predictions.
• Numerous high-temperature hydrogen-rich superconducting phases have been synthesized, including the C2/m-SnH12 phase.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the magnetoresistance data of the C2/m-SnH12 phase.
• To characterize the superconducting properties of this phase.
• To determine if C2/m-SnH12 fits into the category of unconventional superconductors.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of magnetoresistance (R(T,B)) data.
• Determination of the superconducting gap (Δ(0)).
• Calculation of the ratio 2Δ(0)/kB*Tc and Tc/TF.

Main Results:

• The C2/m-SnH12 phase exhibits a ground state superconducting gap of Δ(0) = 9.2 ± 0.5 meV.
• The ratio 2Δ(0)/kB*Tc was found to be 3.3 ± 0.2.
• The ratio Tc/TF falls within the range of 0.010 to 0.014.

Conclusions:

• The determined parameters place C2/m-SnH12 within the band of unconventional superconductors, as shown in the Uemura plot.
• This finding supports the theoretical framework linking high Debye frequency in hydrogen-rich materials to high superconducting transition temperatures.
• The study provides crucial experimental data for understanding high-temperature superconductivity in novel hydrides.