High-Tc Conventional Superconductivity in Clathrate Hydrides: What can we learn from Electronic Structure?*

The current record-holder for superconductivity is a lanthanum superhydride (LaH₁₀), which crystallizes in a clathrate structure, in which hydrogen forms a dense lattice of interconnected cages. The highest T_c reported is close to room temperature (265 K). Tc's comparable, or even higher than this, have been predicted to occur in other clathrate hydrides with chemical formula XH₆ and XH₁₀, with X=Sc,Y,Mg,Ca.
In this contribution, using ab-initio Migdal-Eliashberg theory, we study the superconducting properties of this new broad class of superconductors, and trace them back to their unique electronic structure.