We investigate the possibility of superconductivity in a dense phase of hydrogen which becomes metallic while retaining diatomic character. Correlated fluctuations between electrons and holes in the ensuring band-overlap state can lead to significant enhancements in the transition temperature (compared with monatomic phases) principally through a reduction in the associated Coulomb pseudopotential. The effective electron-electron interaction is determined by a method which treats electrons and phonons on an equivalent footing, an approach which confirms that monatomic phases also remain candidates for high temperature superconductivity.

• Received 28 August 1996

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.78.118