Metamaterial-Enhanced Phonon Engineering: A Pathway to Room-Temperature Superconductivity

Abstract

Room-temperature superconductivity represents one of the most transformative unsolved problems in condensed matter physics, with potential applications spanning energy transmission, quantum computing, transportation, and medical imaging. While recent advances in hydrogenrich compounds have achieved superconductivity at 250 K under extreme pressures, ambient-condition operation remains elusive. We propose a metamaterial-based approach to enhance electron-phonon coupling through engineered phonon dispersion relations, potentially raising critical temperatures to 300 K at ambient pressure. Our design exploits plasmonic nanostructures embedded within conventional superconducting materials to create localized phonon modes with enhanced coupling strengths. Theoretical analysis based on Eliashberg theory predicts that optimized metamaterial geometries could increase the electron-phonon coupling constant λ from typical values of 0.3-0.5 to 2.0-3.0, corresponding to critical temperature enhancements of 3-5×. For MgB 2 (Tc = 39 K), this suggests achievable temperatures of 120-200 K. This enhanced version includes comprehensive error analysis with Monte Carlo simulations of fabrication variations, detailed discussion of competing deleterious effects, quantitative phonon dispersion calculations, and explicit differentiation from recent false positive claims (LK-99, metallic hydrogen). We provide detailed fabrication specifications using standard thin-film deposition and electron-beam lithography, and a staged experimental validation roadmap requiring $5-15M over 5 years. Success would enable zero-loss power transmission, practical quantum computers, compact fusion reactors, and revolutionary advances in transportation and medicine.

Abstract of "Metamaterial-Enhanced Phonon Engineering: A Pathway to Room-Temperature Superconductivity" by Alexi G. Choueiri, https://doi.org/10.36227/techrxiv.176369865.59370636/v1, used under its Creative Commons Attribution license (CC-BY); markup removed, otherwise unmodified.