Observation of the Wigner-Huntington transition to metallic hydrogen.

Title	Observation of the Wigner-Huntington transition to metallic hydrogen.
Authors	Ranga P Dias, Isaac F Silvera
Magazine	Science
Date	02/17/2017
DOI	10.1126/science.aal1579
Introduction	The synthesis of metallic hydrogen represents a significant challenge in condensed matter physics. This material is hypothesised to be a room-temperature superconductor and could remain metastable after pressure release, offering substantial implications for energy applications and rocketry. This investigation focused on solid molecular hydrogen subjected to high pressure at cryogenic temperatures. At 495 gigapascals, hydrogen transformed into a metallic state, exhibiting a high reflectivity of 0.91. Analysis of the reflectance data, utilising a Drude free-electron model, yielded a plasma frequency of 32.5 ± 2.1 electron volts at 5.5 kelvin. This corresponds to an electron carrier density of 7.7 ± 1.1 × 10^23 particles per cubic centimetre, aligning with theoretical predictions for atomic density. These observed characteristics confirm the material's nature as an atomic metal. This work successfully achieved the Wigner-Huntington dissociative transition to atomic metallic hydrogen under controlled laboratory conditions.
Quote	Ranga P Dias; Isaac F Silvera. Observation of the Wigner-Huntington transition to metallic hydrogen. Science 2017, 355, 6326. DOI: 10.1126/science.aal1579
Element	Hydrogen (H)
Industry	Research & Laboratory , Aerospace , Energy Storage & Batteries

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