Near Ambient Superconductivity by 15N as Needles in the Haystack: Lower Temperatures and Pressures for Possible 15N Enrichment in LuH2

Abstract

The author has previously noted the effects of stable isotopes having different nuclear magnetic moments on chemistry, catalysis, biochemistry, thermodynamics, optics, superconductivity and more [1]. In this controversy surrounding reported room temperature superconductivity at near ambient pressures by nitrogen doped lutetium hydride, the author hopes to convince and reason that the different synthesis conditions of the original work of Dias and coworkers [2] at low temperature, mild pressures, diamond anvil cell compression and prolong annealing may lead to selective doping of the lutetium hydride by 15N. The later attempted replication of Dias and coworkers by Hai-hu Wen and coworkers [3] may have caused different outcomes as Hai-hu Wen and coworkers appeared to try Dias work and then switched to a different synthetic method whereby Wen and coworkers instead applied high pressures and high temperatures to the reacting hydrogen, nitrogen and lutetium to produce a nitrogen doped lutetium hydride with similar lattice structure as the originally reported by Dias and coworkers [2] but lacking observed superconductivity and evidence of superconductivity by diamagnetism. The author here by his theory notes the possibility that the different later high pressure, high temperature synthesis by Wen and coworkers doped their sample with 14N rather than 15N as originally enriched in Dias’s sample. Thereby the author notes by his theory [1] that whereas 15N doped lutetium hydride manifests higher superconductivity due to its negative nuclear magnetic moment (NMM), the 14N doped lutetium hydride should not manifest superconductivity at the higher temperatures due to its positive NMM.