Cubic C$_{20}$: An intrinsic superconducting carbon allotrope

Abstract

Finding intrinsic carbon superconductor is an interesting topic. Based on density functional first-principles calculations, we first study the phonon-mediated superconductivity in a cubic metallic carbon allotrope, namely sc-C$_{20}$, which has been synthesized in experiment. The electron-phonon coupling is accurately computed with Wannier interpolation method. By solving the Eliashberg equations, we predict that sc-C$_{20}$ is an intrinsic carbon superconductor, without introducing any guest atoms or doping, whose transition temperature is determined to be about 24 K. Our findings enrich the family of carbon-based superconductors.