Evidence for room temperature superconductivity at graphite interfaces

Abstract

In the last 43 years several hints were reported suggesting the existence of granular superconductivity above room temperature in different graphite-based systems. In this paper some of the results are reviewed, giving special attention to those obtained in water and n-heptane treated graphite powders, commercial and natural bulk graphite samples with different characteristics as well as transmission electron microscope (TEM) lamellae. The overall results indicate that superconducting regions exist and are localized at certain internal interfaces of the graphite structure. The existence of the rhombohedral graphite phase in all samples with superconducting-like properties suggests its interfaces with the Bernal phase as a possible origin for the high-temperature superconductivity, as theoretical calculations predict. High precision electrical resistance and magnetization measurements were used to identify a transition at $T_c \gtrsim 350~$K. To check for the existence of true zero resistance paths in the samples we used local magnetic measurements, which results support the existence of superconducting regions at such high temperatures.