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    Unconventional Superconductivity from Lattice Quantum Disorder

    Yu-Cheng Zhu1, Jia-Xi Zeng1, and Xin-Zheng Li1,2,*

    • *Contact author: xzli@pku.edu.cn

    Phys. Rev. Lett. 137, 146001 – Published 1 October, 2026

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/r8fj-4t94

    Abstract

    Unconventional superconductivity presents a defining challenge in physics. Prevailing theoretical frameworks have predominantly emphasized electrons, largely neglecting the rich physics inherent in the lattice. Conventional phonon theory omits quantum many-body effects of the nuclei, leading to misleading structural phase diagrams and an unsound foundation for superconducting theory. Here, by incorporating nuclear quantum many-body effects within first-principles calculations, we discover a lattice quantum disordered phase in superconductors H3S and La3Ni2O7. This phase occupies a triangular region in the P−T phase diagram, whose left boundary aligns precisely with Tc of the left flank of the superconducting dome. Its Tcmax coincides with the dome’s peak, identifying this phase as both the origin of superconducting transition on the left flank and a key ingredient of the pairing mechanism. Our findings advance the understanding of unconventional superconductivity and establish lattice quantum disorder as a unifying framework, both for predicting new superconductors and for elucidating phenomena in a broader context of condensed matter physics.

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