title: Electrical conductivity of xenon at megabar pressures
abstract: The electrical transport properties of solid xenon were directly measured at pressures up to 155 GPa and temperatures from 300 K to 27 mK. The temperature dependence of resistance changed from semiconducting to metallic at pressures between 121 and 138 GPa, revealing direct proof of metallization of a rare-gas solid by electrical transport measurements. Anomalies in the conductivity are observed at low temperatures in the vicinity of the transition such that purely metallic behavior is observed only at 155 GPa over the entire temperature range.
authors.affiliation: Geophysical Laboratory and Center for High Pressure Research, Carnegie Institution of Washington, 5251 Broad Branch Road N.W., Washington, D.C. 20015, USA.
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Eremets
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Gregoryanz
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Struzhkin
authors.initials: Hk
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Hemley
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mulders
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Zimmerman