2026-03-10 ヒューストン大学(UH)
＜関連情報＞
- https://www.uh.edu/news-events/stories/2026/march/03102026-ambient-pressure-superconductivity-record.php
- https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2536178123
- https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2520324123
圧力クエンチによるHgBa 2 Ca 2 Cu 3 O 8+δの常圧151 K超伝導 Ambient-pressure 151-K superconductivity in HgBa2Ca2Cu3O8+δ via pressure quench
Liangzi Deng, Thacien Habamahoro, Artin Safezoddeh, +9 , and Ching-Wu Chu
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Published:March 9, 2026
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2536178123
Significance
The pressure-quench protocol (PQP) demonstrated here establishes a paradigm for stabilizing at ambient pressure the high-pressure–induced/–enhanced metastable phases that host elevated superconducting transition temperatures, an effective way to achieve record ambient-pressure high-temperature superconductivity. Its applicability extends well beyond superconductivity: PQP provides a powerful route to preserve quantum states that exist only under extreme conditions initially, making them accessible to advanced experimental probes—including a wide range of microscopic spectroscopies—under ambient environments. This capability opens pathways to investigate previously inaccessible physical phenomena and bridges the gap between fundamental discoveries and practical technologies. Moreover, PQP represents a nonequilibrium strategy for uncovering novel states, including those absent not only at ambient pressure but even within the high-pressure regime originally.
Abstract
Superconductivity has been a vigorously researched topic since its discovery in 1911. Raising the superconducting transition temperature (Tc) has been the main driving force behind such long-sustained efforts due to its potential for impacting humanity and the fundamental knowledge gained from understanding this macroscopic coherent quantum state at high temperatures. The successful development of high-Tc superconductivity will make possible extraordinarily efficient generation, delivery, and utilization of energy and could also enable the development of controlled fusion while impacting other burgeoning fields like quantum computation and quantum electronics. However, progress has been hindered by a longstanding plateau in the record ambient-pressure Tc, unchanged since 1993. Subsequent significant advancements in Tc have been achieved only under high pressures, preventing the realization of superconductivity’s full potential. To directly address this challenge, we developed a pressure-quench protocol (PQP) to stabilize pressure-induced/-enhanced superconducting states at ambient pressure. Here, we achieve a record ambient-pressure Tc of 151 K in the cuprate HgBa2Ca2Cu3O8+δ via PQP. The experimental results are further supported by synchrotron X-ray diffraction measurements and phonon and electronic structure calculations. This breakthrough opens avenues for stabilizing and exploring ambient-pressure high-Tc superconducting states and other quantum states that have been previously only accessible under pressure, paving the way for deeper understanding and practical applications of high-Tc superconductivity and beyond.
室温超伝導への道：プログラム的アプローチ The path to room-temperature superconductivity: A programmatic approach
Rohit P. Prasankumar, Matthew Julian, Michael Hutcheon, +12 , and Nathan Myhrvold
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Published:March 9, 2026
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2520324123
Abstract
Room-temperature superconductivity is arguably the greatest challenge in condensed matter physics, with significant practical and commercial implications if it can be solved. There are no physical laws preventing this from occurring; indeed, superconductivity has been observed in so many different materials under so many different conditions that it is almost a “generic” property of nonmagnetic metals. This guides our viewpoint that high-temperature superconductivity is possible, if difficult to realize. Here, we lay out two grand challenges facing the field, titled the Prediction Challenge and the Engineering Challenge, and put forward a programmatic approach for overcoming them. The Prediction Challenge addresses the fact that our ability to predict new conventional superconductors has dramatically advanced in recent years, but most predicted materials are not experimentally synthesizable. To address this challenge, we propose a shift from modeling the superconducting critical temperature and dynamic stability toward high-throughput ab initio and predictive thermodynamics/synthesis modeling. The Engineering Challenge describes how we can control superconductivity with various “knobs,” including pressure, nanostructuring, and light. However, our ability to predict how a specific knob will modify a given superconductor is limited, making it difficult to fully exploit them. We describe the current status and identify areas where additional work is needed to fully exploit six of the most common knobs. Progress in both of these grand challenges, while closely integrating theory and experiment into a continuous feedback loop and incorporating insights from fields beyond physics and materials science, could unlock the underlying keys to room-temperature superconductivity.
