High Pressure Study of Lithium Carbides

High Pressure Study of Lithium Carbides*

Anmol Lamichhane¹, Husam Farraj², Pikee Priya³, Muhtar Ahart¹, Ravhi Kumar¹, Santanu Chaudhuri³, Jordi Cabana², Russell J. Hemley<sup>4

1</sup>Department of Physics, University of Illinois Chicago

²Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois Chicago

³Department of Civil, Materials, and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois Chicago

⁴Departments of Physics, Chemistry, and Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois Chicago



Dense high symmetry carbon framework structures containing alkali or alkaline earth metals inside the framework are expected to exhibit interesting electronic properties such as superconductivity analogous to those found in superconducting hydrides under pressure [1-3]. For example, sodalite-like NaC₆ is predicted to form under pressure and have superconductivity above 100 K and be recoverable to ambient [1]. However, detailed studies of the phases in carbon-based systems are both unexplored experimentally under pressure. Here, we present high-pressure studies of Li-C compounds using various techniques including x-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. Stability, structure and bonding, and electronic properties are also studied using first-principles density functional theory calculations.

This work was supported by DOE-NNSA (DE-NA0003975, CDAC) and NSF (DMR-210488, DMR-1933622).



References:

[1] S. Lu et al., Phys. Rev. B 93 104509 (2016).

[2] Z. Liu et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 127, 157002 (2021).

[3] K. Sano et al., arXiv:2002.02174v2.