Pressure-induced superconductivity in AgSbTe₂

AgSbTe₂ has long been recognized as a promising thermoelectric material due to its high Seebeck coefficient and low thermal conductivity, which together enable efficient energy conversions. However, its transport properties under pressure have remained largely unexplored. Here we systematically investigate the pressure dependence of the electrical transport properties and crystal structure of AgSbTe₂, which has a face-centered cubic structure (Fm-3m, No. 225) and exhibits metallic behavior down to 2 K at ambient pressure. Remarkably, superconductivity emerges under pressure of 0.4 GPa with a critical temperature (T_c) of 3.1 K. T_c increases with increasing pressure, reaching a maximum of 6.9 K at 31.9 GPa, before decreasing with further increasing pressure up to 52.6 GPa, the highest tested. Notably, a maximum T_c of 7.4 K was observed at 26.7 GPa during decompression. We also measured the magnetic-field dependence of the resistance-temperature curves for AgSbTe₂ to characterize its superconducting pairing mechanism and the critical magnetic field. The discovery of pressure-induced superconductivity in AgSbTe₂ reveals a new facet of this material’s behavior, expanding its potential applications beyond thermoelectricity.