(Phd in condensed matter simulation) I agree with everything you wrote where I know enough (for readers, I don’t know anything about lead contacts and several other experimental tricky points, so my agreement should not be counted too much).
I just add on the simulation side (Q3): this is what you would expect to see in a room-T superconductor unless it relies on a completely new mechanism. But, this is something you see also in a lot of materials that superconduct at 20K or so. Even in some where the superconducting phase is completely suppressed by magetism or structural distortions or any other phase transition. In addition, DFT+U is a quick-and-dirty approach for this kind of problem, as fits the speed at which the preprint was put out.
So from the simulation bayesian evidence in favor but very weak
(Phd in condensed matter simulation) I agree with everything you wrote where I know enough (for readers, I don’t know anything about lead contacts and several other experimental tricky points, so my agreement should not be counted too much).
I just add on the simulation side (Q3): this is what you would expect to see in a room-T superconductor unless it relies on a completely new mechanism. But, this is something you see also in a lot of materials that superconduct at 20K or so. Even in some where the superconducting phase is completely suppressed by magetism or structural distortions or any other phase transition. In addition, DFT+U is a quick-and-dirty approach for this kind of problem, as fits the speed at which the preprint was put out. So from the simulation bayesian evidence in favor but very weak