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【Abstract】

To achieve and understand high-temperature superconductivity at ambient pressure is a holy grail of modern condensed matter physics because it holds the potential to solve global energy problems. The record Tc of 164 K in cuprates was set by Chu’s group at Houston in collaboration with Mao’s group under 32 GPa in 1994. Since then, all record Tcs have been achieved under high pressure, including in hydrides and the recently reported nickelates, which makes detailed investigation of their fundamental properties almost impossible and let alone practical applications. To overcome this hurdle, we have developed a pressure-quenching protocol to retain metastable phases by taking advantage of energy barriers, similar to the formation of diamond. In this talk, I will discuss our recent breakthrough on the successful retention of pressure-induced/-enhanced superconducting phases at ambient pressure in various systems. Our research has far-reaching implications, with the potential to extend beyond superconductors to other material systems.