Why superconductor research is in a ‘golden age’ — despite controversy

Nature quotes Eva Zurek in a story reporting on a recent retraction regarding room-temperature superconductivity that has not deterred researchers, as the field is experiencing a renaissance. Much of the excitement is focused on ‘super-hydrides’— hydrogen-rich materials that have shown superconductivity at ever-higher temperatures, as long as they are kept at high pressure. Zurek emphasizes the importance of simulations used for predicting the behavior of materials at high pressures. An example of this is lithium hexahydride, which can exist only at high pressures. “Anybody in general-chemistry class would tell you that something like LiH6 cannot be stable,” says Zurek.