Xiaohui Yu

Institute of Physics

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Fang Hong

Northwestern Polytechnical University

Yusheng Zhao

Southern University of Science and Technology

Shanmin Wang

Southern University of Science and Technology

Jianzhong Zhang

Ministry of Industry and Information Technology

Jinguang Cheng

Chinese Academy of Sciences

Pengfei Shan

Chinese Academy of Sciences

Binbin Yue

Center for High Pressure Science and Technology Advanced Research

Changqing Jin

Chinese Academy of Sciences

Duanwei He

Sichuan University

Yanming Ma

Jilin University

Cooperative Institutions

Chinese Academy of Sciences

University of Chinese Academy of Sciences

Institute of Physics

Center for High Pressure Science and Technology Advanced Research

Jilin University

National Laboratory for Superconductivity

Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Physics

State Key Laboratory of Superhard Materials

Southern University of Science and Technology

Sichuan University

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Constitutive Law and Flow Mechanism in Diamond Deformation

Scientific Reports (2012)

Xiaohui Yu Paul Raterron Jianzhong Zhang Zhijun Lin Liping Wang

Constitutive laws and crystal plasticity in diamond deformation have been the subjects of substantial interest since synthetic diamond was made in 1950's. To date, however, little is known quantitatively regarding its brittle-ductile properties and yield strength at high temperatures. Here we report, for the first time, the strain-stress constitutive relations and experimental demonstration of deformation mechanisms under confined high pressure. The deformation at room temperature is essentially brittle, cataclastic and mostly accommodated by fracturing on {111} plane with no plastic yielding at uniaxial strains up to 15%. At elevated temperatures of 1000°C and 1200°C diamond crystals exhibit significant ductile flow with corresponding yield strength of 7.9 and 6.3 GPa, indicating that diamond starts to weaken when temperature is over 1000°C. At high temperature the plastic deformation and ductile flow is meditated by the <110>{111} dislocation glide and a very active {111} micro-twinning.

Brittleness

Cataclastic rock

Flow stress

Deformation mechanism

10.1038/srep00876

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Citations (35)

Evidence for an emergent anomalous metallic state in compressed titanium

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2023)

Kui Wang Chang Liu Guangtao Liu Xiaohui Yu Mi Zhou

The anomalous metallic state (AMS) emerging from a quantum superconductor-to-metal transition is a subject of great current interest since this exotic quantum state exhibits unconventional transport properties that challenge the core physics principles of Fermi liquid theory. As the AMS concept is historically derived from disordered two-dimensional (2D) systems, related studies have predominately concentrated on 2D materials. The AMS behaviors in three-dimensional (3D) systems have been rarely reported to date, which raises intriguing questions on the fundamental nature of pertinent physics. Here, we report experimental evidence for a 3D AMS in highly compressed titanium metal that exhibits superconductivity with a critical temperature (Tc) reaching near-record 25.1 K among elemental superconductors, offering a favorable material template for exploring 3D AMS. At sufficiently strong magnetic fields, unusual transport behaviors set in over a wide pressure range, showcasing AMS hallmarks of a low-temperature saturation resistance below the Drude value and giant positive magnetoresistance. These findings reveal a 3D AMS in simple elemental systems and, more importantly, provide a fresh platform for probing the decades-long enigmatic underlying physics.

10.1073/pnas.2218856120

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Possible superconductivity at ∼70 K in tin hydride SnHx under high pressure

Materials Today Physics (2021)

Fang Hong Pengfei Shan Liuxiang Yang Binbin Yue Pengtao Yang

Monoclinic crystal system

Diamond anvil cell

10.1016/j.mtphys.2021.100596

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Citations (47)

Unusual Mott transition in multiferroic PbCrO ₃

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2015)

Shanmin Wang Jinlong Zhu Yi Zhang Xiaohui Yu Jianzhong Zhang

The Mott insulator in correlated electron systems arises from classical Coulomb repulsion between carriers to provide a powerful force for electron localization. Turning such an insulator into a metal, the so-called Mott transition, is commonly achieved by "bandwidth" control or "band filling." However, both mechanisms deviate from the original concept of Mott, which attributes such a transition to the screening of Coulomb potential and associated lattice contraction. Here, we report a pressure-induced isostructural Mott transition in cubic perovskite PbCrO3. At the transition pressure of ∼3 GPa, PbCrO3 exhibits significant collapse in both lattice volume and Coulomb potential. Concurrent with the collapse, it transforms from a hybrid multiferroic insulator to a metal. For the first time to our knowledge, these findings validate the scenario conceived by Mott. Close to the Mott criticality at ∼300 K, fluctuations of the lattice and charge give rise to elastic anomalies and Laudau critical behaviors resembling the classic liquid-gas transition. The anomalously large lattice volume and Coulomb potential in the low-pressure insulating phase are largely associated with the ferroelectric distortion, which is substantially suppressed at high pressures, leading to the first-order phase transition without symmetry breaking.

Mott transition

Mott insulator

Metal–insulator transition

Lattice (music)

Strongly correlated material

Charge ordering

10.1073/pnas.1510415112

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Citations (20)

The Hardest Superconducting Metal Nitride

Scientific Reports (2015)

Shanmin Wang Daniel Antonio Xiaohui Yu Jianzhong Zhang Andrew Cornelius

Abstract Transition–metal (TM) nitrides are a class of compounds with a wide range of properties and applications. Hard superconducting nitrides are of particular interest for electronic applications under working conditions such as coating and high stress (e.g., electromechanical systems). However, most of the known TM nitrides crystallize in the rock–salt structure, a structure that is unfavorable to resist shear strain and they exhibit relatively low indentation hardness, typically in the range of 10–20 GPa. Here, we report high–pressure synthesis of hexagonal δ–MoN and cubic γ–MoN through an ion–exchange reaction at 3.5 GPa. The final products are in the bulk form with crystallite sizes of 50 – 80 μm. Based on indentation testing on single crystals, hexagonal δ–MoN exhibits excellent hardness of ~30 GPa, which is 30% higher than cubic γ–MoN (~23 GPa) and is so far the hardest among the known metal nitrides. The hardness enhancement in hexagonal phase is attributed to extended covalently bonded Mo–N network than that in cubic phase. The measured superconducting transition temperatures for δ–MoN and cubic γ–MoN are 13.8 and 5.5 K, respectively, in good agreement with previous measurements.

Indentation

Hexagonal phase

10.1038/srep13733

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Citations (97)

High-pressure electrical conductivity and elasticity of iron-bearing δ-AlOOH

American Mineralogist (2022)

Xiaowan Su Jin Liu Yukai Zhuang Chaojia Lv Xuyong Pang

Abstract The electrical conductivity and elasticity of deep hydrous phases are essential to constraining water distribution, as well as deciphering the origins of conductivity anomalies in the lower mantle. To uncover the impact of iron-bearing δ-AlOOH on the geophysical properties of the lower mantle, we carried out synchrotron X-ray diffraction and electrical conductivity measurements on δ-(Al0.52Fe0.48)OOH and (Al0.95Fe0.05)OOH in diamond-anvil cells at pressures up to 75 GPa at room temperature. A sharp volume reduction of ~6.5% was observed in δ-(Al0.52Fe0.48)OOH across the spin transition at 40.8–43.3 GPa, where its electrical conductivity increases steadily without abrupt changes. The electrical conductivity of δ-(Al0.52Fe0.48)OOH is greater than that of pure δ-AlOOH at high pressure, suggesting that both small polaron and proton conduction mechanisms dominate in iron-bearing δ-AlOOH. Furthermore, the high-pressure electrical conductivity profiles are comparable between δ-(Al0.95Fe0.05)OOH and δ-(Al0.52Fe0.48)OOH, indicating that high-iron content only marginally influences the conductivity of iron-bearing δ-AlOOH. Notably, the electrical conductivity of iron-bearing δ-AlOOH along the North Philippine geotherm is greater than the average 1D electrical conductivity profile in the mantle (Ohta et al. 2010a). This result suggests that δ-(Al,Fe)OOH is a promising candidate to account for high conductivity in some subducting slabs.

Diamond anvil cell

10.2138/am-2022-8393

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High-Tc superconductivity in clathrate calcium hydride CaH6

arXiv (Cornell University) (2021)

Liang Ma Kui Wang Yu Xie Xin Yang Yingying Wang

Recent discovery of superconductive rare earth/actinide superhydrides has ushered in a new era of superconductivity research at high pressures. This distinct type of clathrate metal hydrides was first proposed for alkaline-earth-metal hydride CaH6 that, however, has long eluded experimental synthesis, impeding an understanding of pertinent physics. Here, we report successful synthesis of CaH6 and its measured superconducting critical temperature Tc of 215 K at 172 GPa, which is evidenced by a sharp drop of resistivity to zero and a characteristic decrease of Tc under a magnetic field up to 9 T.An estimate based on the Werthamer-Helfand-Hohenberg model gives a giant zero-temperature upper critical magnetic field of 203 T. These remarkable benchmark superconducting properties place CaH6 among the most outstanding high-Tc superhydrides, marking it as the hitherto only clathrate metal hydride outside the family of rare earth/actinide hydrides. This exceptional case raises great prospects of expanding the extraordinary class of high-Tc superhydrides to a broader variety of compounds that possess more diverse material features and physics characteristics.

Clathrate hydrate

Critical field

Alkaline earth metal

10.48550/arxiv.2103.16282

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Citations (13)

Ultrafast dynamics evidence of strong coupling superconductivity in LaH10±δ

Nature Communications (2024)

Yanling Wu Xiaohui Yu Jiazila Hasaien Fang Hong Pengfei Shan

Recently, tremendous research interest has been aroused in clathrate superhydrides. However, their microscopic properties, especially the superconducting (SC) gap and electron-phonon coupling (EPC) strength, are largely unexplored experimentally. Here, we investigate the time-resolved ultrafast spectroscopy of a superconductor LaH

Dynamics

10.1038/s41467-024-53103-w

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Citations (1)

Observation of a $Pbca$ phase and robust metallicity in $\rm{RuO_2}$ under pressure

arXiv (Cornell University) (2025)

He Zhang Xudong Wei Zhong Wei Xiaoli Ma L. J. Wu

$\rm{RuO_2}$ stands as a quintessential rutile-type compound under ambient conditions, with its structural exploration under pressure bearing significant implications for both phase transition investigations and Earth science. Nonetheless, the precise phase transition sequence remains a debate. In this study, we disclose the emergence of the $Pbca$ phase alongside the enduring metallic character of $\rm{RuO_2}$ under megabar pressure. Employing state-of-the-art synchrotron X-ray diffraction, our observations delineate a phase transition trajectory progressing through rutile, $\rm{CaCl_2}$, and ultimately $Pbca$ phases. Notably, the $Pbca$ phase manifests immediately just after the rutile-$\rm{CaCl_2}$ transition, confining a narrow pressure regime for the pure $\rm{CaCl_2}$-type phase. Within the pressure range of 15.5 to 35.0 GPa, a coexistence of the $\rm{CaCl_2}$-type and $Pbca$ phases is observed, transforming to a sole presence of the $Pbca$ phase beyond 35.0 GPa. Electrical transport measurements conducted on both single crystal and powder samples confirm the enduring metallic conductivity of $\rm{RuO_2}$, persisting up to at least $\sim$120 GPa, albeit exhibiting a diminished conductivity at ultrahigh pressures due to a reduction in electronic density of states at the Fermi level. This study furnishes compelling evidence for the presence of the $Pbca$ phase across a broad pressure range, diverging from the previously widely acknowledged $Pa\bar{3}$ phase, thereby offering crucial insights into phase transition phenomena in other metal dioxides and advancing our comprehension of electronic behaviors within 4d and 5d electron systems.

10.48550/arxiv.2502.06228

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Superconductivity in Topological Insulator Sb2Te3 Induced by Pressure

Scientific Reports (2013)

Jinlong Zhu J. L. Zhang P. P. Kong Sijie Zhang Xiaohui Yu

Topological superconductivity is one of most fascinating properties of topological quantum matters that was theoretically proposed and can support Majorana Fermions at the edge state. Superconductivity was previously realized in a Cu-intercalated Bi2Se3 topological compound or a Bi2Te3 topological compound at high pressure. Here we report the discovery of superconductivity in the topological compound Sb2Te3 when pressure was applied. The crystal structure analysis results reveal that superconductivity at a low-pressure range occurs at the ambient phase. The Hall coefficient measurements indicate the change of p-type carriers at a low-pressure range within the ambient phase, into n-type at higher pressures, showing intimate relation to superconducting transition temperature. The first principle calculations based on experimental measurements of the crystal lattice show that Sb2Te3 retains its Dirac surface states within the low-pressure ambient phase where superconductivity was observed, which indicates a strong relationship between superconductivity and topology nature.

Topological insulator

Ambient pressure

Lattice (music)

10.1038/srep02016

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Citations (148)