Structural Competitiveness in Ramp-Compressed Sodium

At high-energy-density conditions, a new realm of quantum behavior emerges including electron localization, structural complexity, core-electron chemistry, and more. Sodium (Na) behaves particularly bizarre at these conditions because of its very high compressibility. Normally a shiny ideal metal, Na transforms to a topological insulator at 200 GPa. This topologically insulating phase (hP4) is due to the valence electrons occupying interstitial positions of its crystalline lattice rather than the orbitals centered on ionic cores. Using lasers as high-pressure drivers, we report the structural and electronic properties of Na at the most extreme compressions yet studied. X-ray diffraction measurements to 480 GPa and 2000 K reveal unexpected new phases. Simultaneous reflectivity measurements suggest a dramatic drop in the conductivity of both the solid and fluid phases. These data together with ab initio evolutionary structure searches reveal a rich structural competitiveness than extends to greater than 300 GPa and thousands of degrees Kelvin. Recent experiments on ramp-compressed sodium at the National Ignition Facility will be discussed.