Superconductivity of Tellurium Polyhydride with Tc above 90K

Abstract

We report experimental diacovery of superconductivity (SC) in tellurium (Te) polyhydride. The compound was synthesized at high pressure and high temperature conditions using a diamond anvil cell combined with a laser heating system. Subsequent in situ transport measurements at high pressures, performed as a function of temperature and applied magnetic field, revealed a superconducting transition with a critical temperature Tc about 91 K at 263 GPa. The superconducting phase is assigned to TeH4 with characterized face shared TeH12 cage forming quasi molecular H2 units based on synchrotron x-ray diffraction experiments. Analysis of the SC behavior at magnetic fields yielded a Ginzburg Landau (GL) coherence length of approximately 47 angstroms. Tellurium polyhydride thus becomes another chalcogen polyhydride superconductor in addition to the landmark discovery of the first polyhydride high Tc SC SH3.