Non-Fermi-Liquid Behavior of Superconducting SnH.

The chemical interaction of Sn with H by X-ray diffraction methods at pressures of 180-210 GPa is studied. A previously unknown tetrahydride SnH with a cubic structure (fcc) exhibiting superconducting properties below T  = 72 K is obtained; the formation of a high molecular C2/m-SnH superhydride and several lower hydrides, fcc SnH , and C2-Sn H , is also detected. The temperature dependence of critical current density J (T) in SnH yields the superconducting gap 2Δ(0) = 21.

Vortex Phase Dynamics in Yttrium Superhydride YH at Megabar Pressures.

A comprehensive study of vortex phases and vortex dynamics is presented for a recently discovered high-temperature superconductor YH with (onset) of 215 K under a pressure of 200 GPa. The thermal activation energy () is derived within the framework of the thermally activated flux flow (TAFF) theory. The activation energy yields a power law dependence ∝ on magnetic field with a possible crossover at a field around 8-10 T.

Effect of Magnetic Impurities on Superconductivity in LaH.

Polyhydrides are a novel class of superconducting materials with extremely high critical parameters, which is very promising for sensor applications. On the other hand, a complete experimental study of the best so far known superconductor, lanthanum superhydride LaH , encounters a serious complication because of the large upper critical magnetic field H (0), exceeding 120-160 T. It is found that partial replacement of La atoms by magnetic Nd atoms results in significant suppression of superconductivity in LaH : each at% of Nd causes a decrease in T by 10-11 K, helping to control the critical parameters of this compound.

Anomalous High-Temperature Superconductivity in YH.

Pressure-stabilized hydrides are a new rapidly growing class of high-temperature superconductors, which is believed to be described within the conventional phonon-mediated mechanism of coupling. Here, the synthesis of one of the best-known high-T superconductors-yttrium hexahydride -YH is reported, which displays a superconducting transition at ≈224 K at 166 GPa. The extrapolated upper critical magnetic field B (0) of YH is surprisingly high: 116-158 T, which is 2-2.

Novel Strongly Correlated Europium Superhydrides.

We conducted a joint experimental-theoretical investigation of the high-pressure chemistry of europium polyhydrides at pressures of 86-130 GPa. We discovered several novel magnetic Eu superhydrides stabilized by anharmonic effects: cubic EuH, hexagonal EuH, and an unexpected cubic (3) clathrate phase, EuH. Monte Carlo simulations indicate that cubic EuH has antiferromagnetic ordering with of up to 24 K, whereas hexagonal EuH and 3-EuH possess ferromagnetic ordering with = 137 and 336 K, respectively.

Pressure Induced Spin Crossover and Magnetic Properties of Multiferroic BaNbFeSiO.

Recently, the iron containing langasite-type crystal BaNbFeSiO has attracted great attention as a new magnetically induced multiferroic. In this work, magnetic, structural and electronic properties of the multiferroic BaNbFeSiO were investigated by several methods, including synchrotron X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and synchrotron Mössbauer source technique at high quasi-hydrostatic pressures (up to 70 GPa), created in diamond anvil cells. At room temperature, two structural transitions at pressures of about 3.

Crystal Structure of the Superconducting Phase of Sulfur Hydride.

A superconducting critical temperature above 200 K has recently been discovered in HS (or DS) under high hydrostatic pressure1, 2. These measurements were interpreted in terms of a decomposition of these materials into elemental sulfur and a hydrogen-rich hydride that is responsible for the superconductivity, although direct experimental evidence for this mechanism has so far been lacking. Here we report the crystal structure of the superconducting phase of hydrogen sulfide (and deuterium sulfide) in the normal and superconducting states obtained by means of synchrotron X-ray diffraction measurements, combined with electrical resistance measurements at both room and low temperatures.

Observation of superconductivity in hydrogen sulfide from nuclear resonant scattering.

High-temperature superconductivity remains a focus of experimental and theoretical research. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) has been reported to be superconducting at high pressures and with a high transition temperature. We report on the direct observation of the expulsion of the magnetic field in H2S compressed to 153 gigapascals.

Stable solid and aqueous H2CO3 from CO2 and H2O at high pressure and high temperature.

Carbonic acid (H2CO3) forms in small amounts when CO2 dissolves in H2O, yet decomposes rapidly under ambient conditions of temperature and pressure. Despite its fleeting existence, H2CO3 plays an important role in the global carbon cycle and in biological carbonate-containing systems. The short lifetime in water and presumed low concentration under all terrestrial conditions has stifled study of this fundamental species.

Nitrogen Backbone Oligomers.

We found that nitrogen and hydrogen directly react at room temperature and pressures of ~35 GPa forming chains of single-bonded nitrogen atom with the rest of the bonds terminated with hydrogen atoms - as identified by IR absorption, Raman, X-ray diffraction experiments and theoretical calculations. At releasing pressures below ~10 GPa, the product transforms into hydrazine. Our findings might open a way for the practical synthesis of these extremely high energetic materials as the formation of nitrogen-hydrogen compounds is favorable already at pressures above 2 GPa according to the calculations.

Ammonia as a case study for the spontaneous ionization of a simple hydrogen-bonded compound.

Modern ab initio calculations predict ionic and superionic states in highly compressed water and ammonia. The prediction apparently contradicts state-of-the-art experimentally established phase diagrams overwhelmingly dominated by molecular phases. Here we present experimental evidence that the threshold pressure of ~120 GPa induces in molecular ammonia the process of autoionization to yet experimentally unknown ionic compound--ammonium amide.

High pressure synthesis of marcasite-type rhodium pernitride.

Marcasite-type rhodium nitride was successfully synthesized in a direct chemical reaction between a rhodium metal and molecular nitrogen at 43.2 GPa using a laser-heated diamond-anvil cell. This material shows a low zero-pressure bulk modulus of K0 = 235(13) GPa, which is much lower than those of other platinum group nitrides.

High-pressure study of tetramethylsilane by Raman spectroscopy.

High-pressure behavior of tetramethylsilane, one of the Group IVa hydrides, was investigated by Raman scattering measurements at pressures up to 142 GPa and room temperature. Our results revealed the phase transitions at 0.6, 9, and 16 GPa from both the mode frequency shifts with pressure and the changes of the full width half maxima of these modes.

Molecular structure of hydrazoic acid with hydrogen-bonded tetramers in nearly planar layers.

Hydrazoic acid (HN(3))--potentially explosive, highly toxic, and very hygroscopic--is the simplest covalent azide and contains 97.7 wt % nitrogen. Although its molecular structure was established decades ago, its crystal structure has now been solved by X-ray diffraction for the first time.