Superconducting hydrides on a quantum landscape

Abstract

Reaching superconductivity at ambient conditions is one of the biggest scientific dreams. The discoveries in the last few years at high pressures place hydrogen-based compounds as the best candidates for making it true. As the recent history shows, first-principles calculations are expected to continue guiding the experimental quest in the right track in the coming years. Considering that ionic quantum fluctuations largely affect the crystal structure and the vibrational properties of superconducting hydrides, in many cases making them thermodynamically stable at much lower pressures than expected, it will be crucial to include such effects on the future ab initio predictions. The prospects for low-pressure high critical-temperature compounds are wide open, even at ambient pressure.