Search

Using diamond anvil cell and high temperature experiments, this work proves that the interaction between deep hydrogen rich fluids and reduced carbon minerals may be an efficient mechanism for producing abiotic hydrocarbons at the upper mantle’s pressures and temperatures.

Molecular systems are predicted to transform into atomic solids and be metallic at high pressure; this was observed for the diatomic elements iodine and bromine. Here the authors access the higher pressures needed to observe the dissociation in chlorine, through an incommensurate phase, and provide evidence for metallization.

Raman spectroscopy of three isotopes of hydrogen under very high compression yields evidence of a new phase of hydrogen—phase V—which could potentially be a precursor to the long-sought non-molecular phase.

Obtaining reliable high-pressure data from hydrogen at elevated temperatures presents considerable experimental challenges. It is now shown that a new phase transition occurs above 200 GPa as temperature increases, possibly indicating melting.

The structure of molten basalt up to 60 GPa by means of in situ X-ray diffraction is described, with the coordination of silicon increasing from four under ambient conditions to six at 35 GPa, and subsequent reduced melt compressibility, which seems to affect siderophile-element partitioning.

The large low-shear-velocity anomalies in the deep lower mantle below 2300 km depth may relate to H₂O-induced ferrous iron stability in bridgmanite, according to laser-heated diamond anvil cell experiments.

High-pressure studies of chalcogen hydrides reveal complex phase behaviors, challenging existing assumptions about their stability and composition. Here, the authors discover a novel compound, SeH₂(H₂)₂, at pressures above 94 GPa, characterized by a unique tetragonal structure, highlighting the intricate nature of high-pressure chemistry and its implications for material science.

The coupling between topological electronic properties and magnetic order offers a promising route for magnetoelectric control with great potential for both applications and fundamental physics. Here, Susilo et al demonstrate the rich tunability of magnetic properties in nodal-line magnetic semiconductor Mn₃Si₂Te₆ using pressure as control knob.

The field of hydride superconductivity is currently attempting to increase the critical temperature T_c, while also lowering the required stabilization pressure. Here, L.C. Chen et al. study (Y,Ce)H₉ alloys and find maximum T_c ~ 140 K at 130 GPa pressure.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, typically wide-band-gap insulators, may transform into metals under compression, offering potential for interesting electronic properties. Here, a pressure-induced insulator-to-semiconductor transition in dicoronylene was demonstrated, achieving a resistivity drop at 23.0 GPa, and a mechanism was proposed for this transition, paving the way for hydrocarbon-based molecular metals.

Icy moons exhibit thin oxygen atmospheres, but the penetration depth of oxygen-bearing ices and their structures remain unclear. Here, the authors show that oxygen hydrates are able to penetrate deep into icy moons despite the high-pressure interior and identify four phases in the oxygen–water system under icy moon conditions.

Antimonite (Sb₂S₃) has potential applications for solar energy, but how its layered structure changes under pressure is incompletely understood. Here diamond anvil cell experiments supported by first principles calculations offer a structural explanation for experimentally observed phase transitions.