Hypothetical metals having optical absorption losses as low as those of the transparent insulators, if found, could revolutionize optoelectronics. We perform the first high-throughput search for lossless metals among all known inorganic materials in the databases of over 100,000 entries. The 381 candidates are identified -- having well-isolated partially-filled bands -- and are analyzed by defining the figures of merit and classifying their real-space conductive connectivity. The existing experimental evidence of most candidates being insulating, instead of conducting, is due to the limitation of current density functional theory in predicting narrow-band metals that are unstable against magnetism, structural distortion, or electron-electron interactions. We propose future research directions including conductive oxides, intercalating layered materials, and compressing these false-metal candidates under high pressures into eventual lossless metals.
@article{arxiv.2204.03222,
title = {Where to find lossless metals?},
author = {Xiaolei Hu and Zhengran Wu and Zhilin Li and Qiunan Xu and Kun Chen and Kui Jin and Hongming Weng and Ling Lu},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2204.03222},
year = {2022}
}