High P-T transformations of nitrogen to 170 GPa

X-ray diffraction and optical spectroscopy techniques are used to characterize stable and metastable transformations of nitrogen compressed up to 170 GPa and heated above 2500 K. X-ray diffraction data show that varepsilon-N2 undergoes two successive structural changes to complex molecular phases zeta at 62 GPa and a newly discovered kappa at 110 GPa. The latter becomes an amorphous narrow gap semiconductor on further compression and if subjected to very high temperatures (approximately 2000 K) crystallizes to the crystalline cubic-gauche-N structure (cg-N) above 150 GPa. The diffraction data show that the transition to cg-N is accompanied by 15% volume reduction.     

Electronic and magnetic studies of materials to megabar pressures

Numerous recent developments in diamond-cell techniques are making possible a growing range of studies of the electronic and magnetic properties of materials to megabar pressures. We review recent advances in this area, including magnetic susceptibility, electrical conductivity, and synchrotron-based spectroscopic techniques. Highly sensitive magnetic susceptibility techniques have allowed the first observations of superconductivity at megabar pressures, including the observation of a T_c of 17 K in sulfur at 160 GPa, and a nearly pressure-independent T_c to above 230 GPa. The technique has recently been extended to allow measurements of the magnetic properties of ferromagnetic substances. Advances in the direct measurement of electrical conductivity using miniaturized leads have permitted measurements on H₂O and Xe to above 100 GPa. Pressure-induced high-spin to low-spin transitions have been examined in FeS and FeO using new high-resolution X-ray emission techniques. New high-pressure inelastic scattering methods, including nuclear inelastic scattering techniques, have been used to determine the phonon density of states of Fe to above 150 GPa. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Synchrotron infrared measurements of dense hydrogen to 360 GPa

Diamond-anvil-cell techniques have been developed to confine and measure hydrogen samples under static conditions to pressures above 300 GPa from 12 to 300 K using synchrotron infrared and optical absorption techniques. A decreasing absorption threshold in the visible spectrum is observed, but the material remains transparent at photon energies down to 0.1 eV at pressures to 360 GPa over a broad temperature range. The persistence of the strong infrared absorption of the vibron characteristic of phase III indicates the stability of the paired state of hydrogen. There is no evidence for the predicted metallic state over these conditions, in contrast to recent reports, but electronic properties consistent with semimetallic behavior are observed.     

Triple point on the melting curve and polymorphism of nitrogen at high pressure

Raman spectra of solid and fluid nitrogen to pressures up to 120 GPa and temperatures up to 2500 K reveal that the melting line exhibits a maximum near 70 GPa, followed by a triple point near 87 GPa, after which the melting temperature rises again. Fluid nitrogen remains molecular over the entire pressure range studied, and there is no sign of a fluid-fluid transition. Solid phases obtained on quenching from the melt above 48 GPa are identical to the recently discovered iota and zeta' phases. We find that kinetics plays a major role in the experimentally observed phase changes and account for the metastability of various crystalline molecular phases and the existence of an amorphous single bonded eta-N.