Pressure-induced superconductivity in the metal thiophosphate Pb₂P₂S₆

We report on the pressure-tuning of the physical properties of a metal thiophosphate Pb2P2S6. Resistance measurements evidence a semiconducting-to-metallic transition at around 39 GPa and immediate emergence of superconductivity. The superconducting critical temperature TC monotonously increases from 3.2 to 5.1 K until the highest studied pressure 54 GPa. Over the whole pressure range, the pristine monoclinic lattice symmetry is not changed. Moreover, the resonance Raman scattering is observed in the range of 8-12 GPa depending on the excitation energy used. These findings establish Pb2P2S6 as a new platform to explore intrinsic metallization and superconductivity, which may promote developments of relevant applications.