Overview
- Water compressed beyond 2 gigapascals at room temperature exhibited multiple rapid freezing–melting events captured on microsecond timescales.
- These time-resolved measurements uncovered a previously hidden crystallization route that passes through the newly identified Ice XXI.
- The KRISS-built dynamic diamond anvil cell reduced compression to about 10 milliseconds and minimized mechanical shock to reach a supercompressed liquid state.
- Ice XXI features a remarkably large, complex unit cell with a flattened rectangular lattice and is reported as metastable where Ice VI usually dominates.
- The international 33-scientist collaboration, using the European XFEL and DESY facilities, reports the findings in Nature Materials and notes densities comparable to high-pressure ice layers proposed for icy moons.