Electrides as a unique class of emerging materials exhibit fascinating properties and hold important significance for understanding the matter under extreme conditions, which is characterized by valence electrons localized into the interstitial space as quasi-atoms (ISQs). In this work, using crystal structure prediction and first-principles calculations, we identified seven stable phases of Mg-Li that are electride with novel electronic properties under high pressure. Among them, MgLi10 is a semiconductor with a band gap of 0.22 eV; and Pm-3m MgLi is superconductor with a superconducting transition temperature of 22.8 K. The important role played by the localization degree of ISQ in the superconducting transition temperature of these electrides is revealed by systematic comparison of Mg-Li with other Li-rich electride superconductors. Furthermore, we proved that Pm-3m MgLi and Pnma MgLi also have distinct topological behavior with metallic surface states and the non-zero $Z_2$ invariant. The simultaneous coexistence of superconductivity, electronic band topology and electride property in the same structure of Pm-3m MgLi and Pnma MgLi demonstrates the feasibility of realizing multi-quantum phases in a single material, which will stimulate further research in these interdisciplinary fields.

One of the routes for adaptation to extreme environments is via remodeling of cell membrane structure, composition, and biophysical properties rendering a functional membrane. Collective studies suggest some form of membrane feedback in mycobacterial species that harbor complex lipids within the outer and inner cell wall layers. Here, we study the homeostatic membrane landscape of mycobacteria in response to high hydrostatic pressure and temperature triggers using high pressure fluorescence, mass and infrared spectroscopies, NMR, SAXS, and molecular dynamics simulations. Our findings reveal that mycobacterial membrane possesses unique and lipid-specific pressure-induced signatures that attenuate progression to highly ordered phases. Both inner and outer membrane layers exhibit phase coexistence of nearly identical lipid phases keeping residual fluidity over a wide range of temperature and pressure, but with different sensitivities. Lipidomic analysis of bacteria grown under pressure revealed lipidome remodeling in terms of chain length, unsaturation, and specific long-chained characteristic mycobacterial lipids, rendering a fluid bacterial membrane. These findings could help understand how bacteria may adapt to a broad spectrum of harsh environments by modulating their lipidome to select lipids that enable the maintenance of a fluid functional cell envelope.

Intercalation is an important strategy for enhancing functionality in complex chalcogenides. This is because layered materials can be endowed with intriguing properties by filling the van der Waals gap with various ions and molecules, which, in addition to their unique chemistry, break symmetry in new ways. In order to explore the properties of intercalated metal dichalcogenides under extreme pressure-temperature conditions, we combine diamond anvil cell techniques, Raman scattering spectroscopy, magnetic susceptibility, and first-principles calculations to reveal the pressure–temperature phase diagram of Fe1/3TaS2. This system hosts a compression-driven structural phase transition to a polar state as well as remnant charge density wave signatures deriving from the host lamella of the 2H-parent compound. We also explore the role of different A-site patterns and determine that, by comparison, Fe1/4TaS2 is soft and flexible due to the lower metal density inside the van der Waals gap. These findings open the door to entirely new states of matter with exciting property combinations, including metallicity, polarity, chirality, and altermagnetism – depending upon the conditions – that can support a wide range of spintronics and phononics applications.

Diamond holds significant promise for a wide range of applications due to its exceptional physicochemical properties. Investigating the controlled diamond preparation from nanocarbon precursors with varying dimensionalities is crucial to optimize the transition conditions and even elucidate the daunting transformation mechanism, however, this remains outstanding challenge despite considerable effort. Herein, the imperative dimensionality effect of nanocarbon precursors on diamond synthesis and the physical mechanism under high temperature and high pressure is reported, by comparing the distinct transition processes of 0D carbon nanocages (CNCs) and 1D carbon nanotubes (CNTs) from conventional graphite. The optical and structural characterizations evidently demonstrate that both 0D CNCs and 1D CNTs first undergo collapse and graphitization, followed by the formation of mixed amorphous carbon with embedded diamond clusters, eventually leading to cubic diamond. The plotted pressure‐temperature diagram exhibits the unique dimensionality effect of carbon nanomaterials to diamond transformation. These results provide valuable insights into the phase transition mechanisms of diamond synthesis and its derivatives under extreme conditions.

Current studies show that oxygen does not aggregate into a polymeric phase even under pressures up to 10 TPa. To address the critical knowledge gap in understanding dense oxygen, here we show the complete polymerization process of oxygen, by using structure prediction methods. We determine the crystal structures of oxygen up to 1 PPa (1000 TPa), identifying a novel two-dimensionally bonded body-centered tetragonal (bct) phase and a fully polymerized hexagonal close-packed (hcp) phase. Electronic structure analysis reveals significant bond softening in the bct phase with increasing pressure, which may affect the dynamic behavior under finite temperatures. So, we employ the machine learning potential molecular dynamics and the two-phase method to construct the melting curve of oxygen up to 200 TPa (200 TPa, 23,740 K) and identify abnormal melting behavior beyond 100 TPa. We find oxygen exhibits higher thermal conductivity and lower isochoric heat capacity than helium at identical pressures. These results indicate that oxygen-rich envelopes may accelerate the cooling process of white dwarfs.

A novel x-ray free electron laser (XFEL) diffraction setup for use with diamond anvil cells (DACs) at the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) is described. Using the new diamond window at the Matter at Extreme Conditions (MEC) instrument, it allows hard x-ray experiments on DACs to be performed in air. The platform is described along with alignment and calibration procedures and details of the x-ray beam and diagnostics. Example data are presented, including a reversible XFEL induced phase transition in CsPbI3. The DAC setup was commissioned at MEC, but is applicable to most LCLS instruments where the unique pulse structures available at LCLS offer access to new ultrafast experimental techniques at high pressure.

point of 2.17 K, helium transitions to He II and becomes a quantum superfluid with zero viscosity. Under extreme conditions such as when cooled beyond Tλ In the field of cryogenics, helium [He] is utilized for a variety of reasons. The combination of helium’s extremely low molecular weight and weak interatomic reactions yield interesting properties when helium is cooled below its critical temperature of 5.2 K to form a liquid. Even at absolute zero (0K), helium does not condense to form a solid under ambient pressure. In this state, the zero point In the field of cryogenics, helium [He] is utilized for a variety of reasons. The combination of helium’s extremely low molecular weight and weak interatomic reactions yield interesting properties when helium is cooled below its critical temperature of 5.2 K to form a liquid. Even at absolute zero (0K), helium does not condense to form a solid under ambient pressure. In this state, the zero point vibrational energies of helium are comparable to very weak interatomic binding interactions, thus preventing lattice formation and giving helium its fluid characteristics. Within this liquid state, helium has two phases referred to as helium I and helium II. Helium I displays thermodynamic and hydrodynamic properties of classical fluids, along with quantum characteristics. However, below its lambda point of 2.17 K, helium transitions to He II and becomes a quantum superfluid with zero viscosity. Under extreme conditions such as when cooled beyond Tλ, helium has the ability to form a new state of matter, known as a Bose–Einstein condensate (BEC), in which the atoms virtually lose all their energy. Without energy to transfer between molecules, the atoms begin to aggregate creating a volume of equivalent density and energy. From observations, liquid helium only exhibits super-fluidity because it contains isolated islands of BECs, which have well-defined magnitude and phase, as well as well-defined phonon–roton (P-R) modes. A phonon refers to a quantum of energy associated with a compressional wave such as the vibration of a crystal lattice while a roton refers to an elementary excitation in superfluid helium. In the BEC’s, the P-R modes have the same energy, which explains the zero point vibrational energies of helium in preventing lattice formation.

obedient to temperature extremes . Low temperatures favor certain forms of electronic construction and atomic assembly, while high temperatures facilitate