Predicted high-temperature superconductivity in cerium hydrides at high pressures

A systematic structure search in the Ce-H system under pressure reveals novel stable phases with intriguing electronic properties. Several cerium hydrides, CeH$4$⁠, CeH$9$⁠, and CeH$10$⁠, were found to be dynamically stable. Electron-phonon calculations coupled to Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer arguments indicate that they might be high-$Tc$ superconductors. In particular, the maximum $Tc$ values for $F4¯3m$-CeH$9$ and $Fm3¯m$-CeH$10$ are 142 K and 168 K at 94 GPa. These findings may pave the way for achieving room temperature superconductors in dense hydrogen-rich compounds.