Synthesis and resistivity measurements of LK-99

Abstract

Recently, a claim of material, named LK-99 (a lead apatite-based compound), exhibiting a superconducting transition temperature of over 400 K under standard atmospheric pressure, was reported [1, 2]. This claim has generated considerable attention from scientists worldwide. Here, we synthesized five LK-99 samples following the method detailed in the original papers [ 1, 2], and measured structural and resistivity data for each of these samples. The structure of the synthesized samples (P6(3)/m, a=9.82 angstrom, c=7.34 angstrom) was very close to the reported one. Contrary to the report, however, no hint of room-temperature superconductivity was noted from any of the samples. The results of Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDXS) measurements demonstrate that the atomic distribution in the sample was inhomogenous, and unreacted precursors were included in the samples. To investigate the intrinsic superconducting properties of LK-99, we propose to synthesize samples having high structural purity and chemical uniformity.