Three Decades Later, Metallic Oxygen Finally Yields Its Raman Signature
The vibrational properties of metallic oxygen have remained
inaccessible until now. Here Raman spectra over a broad
pressure range are captured thanks to the combination of
diamond anvil cell techniques with highly stable singlefrequency
lasers.
Sept. 28, 2026
Sponsored by
hphlogorightrgb
Although oxygen is known to become metallic at high pressures, its vibrational properties have remained largely inaccessible for more than three decades because of the combined challenges of weak Raman scattering, high reflectivity of metallic samples, and the demanding environment of diamond anvil cell experiments. Here we show that these challenges can be overcome through exceptional instrument performance. Using highly stable single-frequency laser sources, high-fidelity spectra were collected establishing new benchmarks for exploring matter at extreme conditions.
