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Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:
The key to this discovery was creation of a metallic, hydrogen-rich compound at very high pressures: roughly 2 million atmospheres. The researchers used diamond anvil cells, devices used to create high pressures, to squeeze together miniscule samples of lanthanum and hydrogen. They then heated the samples and observed major changes in structure. This resulted in a new structure, LaH10, which the researchers previously predicted would be a superconductor at high temperatures.
While keeping the sample at high pressures, the team observed reproducible change in electrical properties. They measured significant drops in resistivity when the sample cooled below 260 K (minus 13 C, or 8 F) at 180-200 gigapascals of pressure, presenting evidence of superconductivity at near-room temperature. In subsequent experiments, the researchers saw the transition occurring at even higher temperatures, up to 280 K. Throughout the experiments, the researchers also used X-ray diffraction to observe the same phenomenon. This was done through a synchrotron beamline of the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory in Argonne, Illinois.
Evidence for Superconductivity above 260 K in Lanthanum Superhydride at Megabar Pressures$ (DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.122.027001)
(Score: 2) by stormwyrm on Thursday January 17 2019, @07:39AM
Metallic hydrogen [wikipedia.org] is supposed to behave as a superconductor at temperatures as high as 17°C. Of course, being a form of degenerate matter, it can be made only at extremely high pressures, around 400 GPa at latest theoretical estimate, but as yet no one has made confirmed samples. But if they're seeing what looks like superconductivity at relatively high temperatures in a similar substance like this lanthanum/hydrogen mix, then perhaps metallic hydrogen might indeed be a room temperature superconductor as has been predicted.
Numquam ponenda est pluralitas sine necessitate.