X-Ray Signature of the Superionic Transition in Warm Dense fcc Water Ice.

The fcc superionic phase of ice is a key component of the warm dense water phase diagram. While a few x-ray diffraction studies, under dynamic and static compressions, have reported the stability of the fcc structure, the transition to the superionic state has not been investigated in detail. Here, a remarkable thermal volume expansion is disclosed, which is interpreted as being directly related to the superionic transition.