title: Novel crystalline carbon-cage structure synthesized from laser-driven shock wave loading of graphite.
abstract: We report a novel crystalline carbon-cage structure synthesized from laser-driven shock wave loading of a graphite-copper mixture to about 14+/-2 GPa and 1000 +/- 200 K. Quite unexpectedly, it can be structurally related to an extremely compressed three-dimensional C60 polymer with random displacement of C atoms around average positions equivalent to those of distorted C60 cages. Thus, the present carbon-cage structure represents a structural crossing point between graphite interlayer bridging and C60 polymerization as the two ways of forming diamond from two-dimensional and molecular carbon.
authors.affiliation: P-24 Plasma Physics, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA. sluo@lanl.gov
authors.forename: Sheng-Nian
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Tschauner
authors.forename: Thomas E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Tierney
authors.forename: Damian C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Swift
authors.forename: Steve J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Chipera
authors.forename: Paul D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Asimow