Electrical Resistivity Measurements at Extreme Conditions on Quantum Materials: Studying Pressure-induced Superconductivity in Charge Density Wave Material BaSbTe₂S

BaSbTe₂S (BSTS) is a quantum material that displays charge density wave properties under ambient conditions. A charge density wave (CDW) is a state in which the charge density of a material is modulated, where the electrons form a standing wave pattern. Application of pressure or chemical doping to a CDW material often leads to the emergence of superconductivity; as such, these materials have been the subject of numerous studies. Extremely high pressures, used to bring a material to a superconductive state, are achieved in a Diamond Anvil Cell (DAC), which pressurizes a sample between two diamond culets. In this presentation I will detail the four-probe electrical resistivity technique used inside of a DAC to measure the pressure-induced emergence of superconductivity in BSTS, and why this technique is essential in DAC experiments. I will also present the results of experiments done in our group on BSTS, showing that CDW is suppressed at high pressures, and BSTS becomes superconductive at ~10GPa.