Room-Temperature Superconductors

• Room-temperature superconductors are materials that exhibit zero electrical resistance and perfect diamagnetism at or above 273K, enabling transformative advances in technology.
• High-pressure hydrides like LaH10 and ternary clathrates have achieved critical temperatures near 286K through optimized electron-phonon coupling and dense hydrogen networks.
• Current research focuses on chemical precompression, multinary design, and advanced screening methods to overcome pressure constraints and stabilize superconducting phases.

Room-temperature superconductors are materials exhibiting superconductivity, defined by zero electrical resistance and perfect diamagnetism (the Meissner effect), with a critical temperature ($T_c$) at or above 273 K (0°C). The discovery and engineering of such materials represent a central challenge in condensed matter physics, with profound implications for technology and fundamental science. Achieving this regime requires overcoming constraints imposed by both the underlying pairing mechanism—typically phonon-mediated electron-electron attraction as in conventional BCS theory—and the materials’ structural, electronic, and vibrational properties. The following survey synthesizes the current understanding, theoretical limits, materials realizations, and future strategies to attain and harness room-temperature superconductivity.

1. Theoretical Framework and Upper Bounds

Room-temperature superconductivity in conventional materials—those where Cooper pairing arises from electron–phonon interactions—obeys constraints rooted in the Eliashberg theory. The superconducting $T_c$ depends critically on the electron–phonon coupling constant ($\lambda$), the characteristic phonon frequency (often represented by the Debye temperature $T_D$ or the logarithmic phonon frequency $\omega_{\log}$), and the effective Coulomb pseudopotential ($\mu^*$). The Allen–Dynes modified McMillan equation provides a reliable analytic estimate: $$T_c = \frac{\omega_{\log}}{1.2} \exp\left[ -\frac{1.04(1+\lambda)}{\lambda - \mu^* (1+0.62\lambda)} \right].$$ Numerical and analytic studies establish an approximate upper bound for $\lambda$ of 2.67, beyond which lattice instabilities generally preclude further increases in coupling (Zheng et al., 2019). Under this constraint, attaining $T_c\gtrsim300$ K requires phonon energy scales $\omega_{\log}$ equivalent to Debye temperatures $T_D \gtrsim 1800$ K, a condition naturally fulfilled in networks of light atoms, notably hydrogen under extreme compression (Boeri et al., 2019, Zheng et al., 2019). Non-conventional pairing routes, e.g., via magnetic fluctuations, onionic/covalent bonding or 2D bosonic condensation, can in principle bypass such limits, but are subject to different, system-specific restrictions (Shi et al., 17 Mar 2025, Dzhumanov et al., 5 Jan 2024).

2. High-Pressure Hydrides: Design, Mechanism, and Milestones

Hydrogen-rich materials (“superhydrides”) synthesized at pressures $P\gtrsim150$–$300$ GPa remain the most robustly documented path to room-temperature superconductivity. The critical breakthrough began with H$_3$S (Im$\bar{3}$m), exhibiting $T_c\sim200$ K at 155 GPa, extending to LaH$_{10}$ (Fm$\bar{3}$m) with $T_c$ up to 265–286 K at 170–200 GPa (Hemley et al., 2019, Boeri et al., 2019). These systems leverage both enormous $\lambda$ (2‒4) and large $\omega_{\log}$ (1000–1200 K), enabled by dense, atomic H frameworks (clathrate cages) and significant charge transfer from metal to H, maximizing the H-derived density of states at $E_F$ (Pickett, 2022, Hemley et al., 2019, Boeri et al., 2019).

Experimentally, LaH$_{10}$ was synthesized via reaction of La and excess H in diamond anvil cells, followed by laser heating exceeding 1000 K. Verification includes four-probe zero-resistance measurements, Meissner effect detection by magnetic susceptibility, and X-ray diffraction confirming the predicted structure (Hemley et al., 2019). The critical fields ($\mu_0 H_{c2}$) reach 50–100 T, with coherence lengths $\xi\sim1.5$–2 nm. The theoretical–experimental match is within a few percent for both $T_c$ and structural parameters (Hemley et al., 2019, Pickett, 2022).

3. Ternary and Complex Hydrides: Expansion Beyond Binaries

Recent computational advances and high-throughput workflows have shifted the search toward ternary (and higher-order) hydrides. This expansion offers vastly greater chemical and structural freedom, facilitating the discovery of new hydrogen clathrates with improved metastability and potentially lower critical pressures.

Key results include:

• LaSc$_2$H$_{24}$: Experimental synthesis achieved $T_c$ up to 298 K at 260 GPa in DACs. This hexagonal P6/mmm structure features nested H cages around La and Sc and exhibits zero resistance and field suppression of $T_c$ analogous to phonon-mediated mechanisms (Song et al., 29 Sep 2025). The electronic structure is dominated by H $s$-states at $E_F$; EPC constants are $\lambda\sim2.0$–2.2 and $\omega_{\ln}\sim$1000 K, yielding $T_c$ consistent with Allen–Dynes predictions.
• NaLi$_2$H$_{17}$ and Li$_2$NaH$_{17}$: Type-I and type-II clathrate ternary hydrides predicted to be thermodynamically stable at 220–350 GPa and to exhibit $T_c=310$–340 K, with dominant H-derived DOS and strong Fermi surface nesting amplifying $\lambda$ (An et al., 2023, Ma et al., 18 Dec 2024).
• MgH$_{12}$, ScH$_{12}$, ZrH$_{12}$: Binary superhydrides featuring quasi-atomic H$_2$ units reach $T_c=313$–398 K at 300 GPa; MgH$_{12}$ remains dynamically stable to $\sim70$ GPa with $T_c\sim290$ K (Jiang et al., 2023).
• Rare-earth ternary sodalite hydrides (e.g., Y$_3$LuH$_{24}$, YLuH$_{12}$, YLu$_3$H$_{24}$) achieve $T_c=275$–288 K at 110–140 GPa, the lowest pressures yet for near-room-temperature superconductivity (Du et al., 2022).

A common unifying principle is the maximization of H-derived electronic states at $E_F$ (projected H-DOS fraction $>$ 70%), the presence of multi-cage clathrate frameworks, and the use of chemical alloying to tune pressure, lattice stability, and EPC without the phonon softening or lattice instabilities that limit $\lambda$ in pure binaries (Ma et al., 18 Dec 2024, An et al., 2023).

4. Ambient-Pressure Claims and Unconventional Mechanisms

While high-pressure hydrides set reproducible benchmarks, recent years have seen claims and experimental studies of ambient-pressure room-temperature superconductivity—most contentiously, in variants of modified lead-apatite ("LK-99", Pb$_{10-x}$Cu$_x$(PO$_4$)$_6$O), Bi/Pb-based cuprate ceramics, and niche Kondo-lattice hydrides:

• LK-99: Reports claimed $T_c\geq400$ K at ambient pressure, zero resistivity, Meissner effect, and levitation, attributed to Cu-doping-induced volume contraction, interface quantum wells, and 1D BR-BCS/bipolaronic mechanisms (Lee et al., 2023, Lee et al., 2023). However, subsequent independent syntheses revealed paramagnetism, no Meissner effect, no zero-resistance, and significant phase impurity, casting doubt on bulk, intrinsic superconductivity at room temperature in these samples (Kumar et al., 2023). Critical demonstration of reproducible, bulk superconductivity in LK-99 remains unresolved.
• 2D Superconductivity in Ceramic Cuprates: Recent evidence shows sharp resistance drops and partial Meissner effects at 295–395 K in isolated 2D domains and interfaces within Bi/Pb-based ceramics prepared by solar-furnace melt technology (Dzhumanov et al., 5 Jan 2024). The transition is ascribed to Bose condensation of bipolaronic Cooper pairs within nanothin 2D layers, with predicted $T_c^{2D}\gg T_c^{3D}$ for realistic polaronic densities and masses. However, observed diamagnetic fractions are $\lesssim$25%, and percolative zero-resistance is incomplete, suggesting filamentary or local rather than bulk superconductivity.
• Ionic Bond-Driven Pairing in Oxides: A newly formulated theory based on eV-scale ionic bonding in cuprates and nickelates posits O-bridged electron pairs (e$^-$–O–e$^-$) or M-bridged holes as the origin of robust, strongly bound Cooper pairs (Shi et al., 17 Mar 2025). Carrier densities and pair masses theoretically allow Bose-Einstein condensation temperatures $T_\text{BEC}\sim300$–600 K, but long-range phase coherence exceeding 150 K has not been realized in bulk cuprates/nickelates at ambient conditions.

5. Design Strategies, Challenges, and Outlook

Despite clear theoretical guidelines, materials realization of room-temperature superconductivity—particularly at practical pressures—remains limited to a narrow range of hydrogen-based compounds. Strategies emerging from current literature include:

• Chemical Precompression and Multinary Design: Incorporation of additional metal species or light element dopants enables stabilization of complex H frameworks at reduced pressures (Ma et al., 18 Dec 2024, Song et al., 29 Sep 2025, An et al., 2023).
• Alloying/Partial Doping: Substitutional doping (e.g., C in H$_3$S, N in LaH$_{10}$) hardens key phonon branches, increases $\omega_{\log}$, and can push $T_c$ to 280–290 K at a given pressure (Hu et al., 2020, Ge et al., 2020).
• Machine Learning–Accelerated Screening: AI methods can efficiently triage large compositional spaces against empirical and ab initio descriptors of thermodynamic/structural stability and $T_c$ estimators, but validation remains critical (Ma et al., 18 Dec 2024, Luo, 4 Mar 2025).
• Lower-Dimensional/Interfacial Systems: 2D domains within cuprates, interfaces, nanostructures, and nanoengineered clusters are predicted to reach high $T_c$ due to enhanced bosonic coherence or quantum confinement, but scaling to bulk, percolating superconductivity is as yet unrealized (Dzhumanov et al., 5 Jan 2024, Luo, 4 Mar 2025).

The central materials obstacles are:

• Pressure Reduction: Current hydride-based room-temperature superconductors require $>$100 GPa, precluding immediate technological impact.
• Phase Stability and Quenching: Metastable retention of high-pressure phases upon decompression, and control of inhomogeneity/phase separation.
• Reproducibility and Bulk Characterization: Rigorous four-probe transport, Meissner effect with full shielding fraction, critical current and field measurements, and phase-pure synthesis are essential to establish true bulk room-temperature superconductivity, especially for claims at ambient pressure.

6. Comparative Table of Representative Room-Temperature Superconductors

System	$T_c$ (K)	$P$ (GPa)	Structure/Type	$λ$	$\omega_{\log}$ (K)	Bulk Meissner/Zero-$R$	Reference
LaSc$_2$H$_{24}$	271–298	195–266	Ternary clathrate (P6/mmm)	2.0–2.2	$\sim$1000	Yes	(Song et al., 29 Sep 2025)
LaH$_{10}$	260–286	170–210	fcc clathrate (Fm$\bar{3}$m)	3.41	950–1100	Yes	(Hemley et al., 2019)
Y$_3$LuH$_{24}$, YLu$_3$H$_{24}$	275–288	110–140	Sodalite-type clathrates	3.1–4.8	190–220	—	(Du et al., 2022)
C$_1$S$_{15}$H$_{48}$, C$_1$S$_{17}$H$_{54}$	280–300	250–270	Carbon-doped H$_3$S	2.5–4.3	1010–1550	Yes	(Hu et al., 2020)
LiNa$_3$H$_{23}$, Li$_2$NaH$_{17}$	310–340	255–350	Ternary clathrate	2.44–2.69	2100–2300	—	(An et al., 2023)
MgH$_{12}$, ScH$_{12}$, ZrH$_{12}$	313–398	70–300	BCC sublattice, "quasi-atomic" H$_2$	2.5–2.9	1210–1300	—	(Jiang et al., 2023)
LK-99 (Pb$_{10-x}$Cu$_x$(PO$_4$)$_6$O)	377–400	0	Modified lead-apatite	—	—	Contested	(Lee et al., 2023)
Bi/Pb-based 2D cuprates	295–395	0	Ceramic (grain boundary/2D)	—	—	Partial	(Dzhumanov et al., 5 Jan 2024)

7. Open Challenges and Future Directions

Achieving room-temperature superconductivity at practical, preferably ambient, pressures remains a grand challenge. The highest-confirmed bulk $T_c$ values are reported in ternary superhydrides at megabar pressures (Song et al., 29 Sep 2025). Key research directions include the pursuit of multinary hydrides with chemical precompression and structural stabilization at lower pressures, as well as the parallel development of unconventional, high-$T_c$ materials leveraging electronic, magnetic, or polaronic pairing in layered, low-dimensional, or highly correlated systems (Dzhumanov et al., 5 Jan 2024, Shi et al., 17 Mar 2025). High-throughput synthesis, advanced spectroscopic characterization, and AI-augmented theory will all be critical in accelerating materials discovery and validation.

Efforts to demonstrate bulk room-temperature superconductivity at ambient pressure—for example in LK-99 or 2D cuprate systems—must prioritize high-purity sample preparation, meticulous elimination of artefacts, and stringent reproducibility standards. The convergence of computational prediction, precise synthesis, and rigorous experimental verification defines the maturing landscape of room-temperature superconductor research (Luo, 4 Mar 2025, Pickett, 2022).