CASUS Institute Seminar, Jose Flores, Sapienza University of Rome
Room-temperature superconductivity has been considered one of the Holy grail in condensed matter physics/chemistry, an impossible task difficult to conceive until recently, even in our imagination. First, a breakthrough happened in 2008 when M. Eremets successfully metalized the first hydride (SiHx) under pressure. A paradigm shift followed mainly in Europe; we replace the old fashioned Edisonian style of doing research with intelligent computational approaches. The symbiosis between experiment, theory, and computer simulation has been proven a robust strategy, albeit theoretical drawbacks and ethical misconduct in the community. 2020 will be remembered by the covid-19 pandemic and because the first disclosures of the room temperature superconductivity (RTS) have been reported (+15 degree C). As of now, the stoichiometry and structure of the RTS are unknown. During my talk, I will address how we can shed light, aided by computational methods, to solve the new room temperature superconductor’s stoichiometry and structure. I will be talking about high-throughput schemes to search for a niche of potential high-temperature superconductive systems, algorithms for structure exploration, and machine learning of key quantities such as structure and electronic interactions. The long reach goal is to settle the concepts of artificial intelligence designed superconductors.