Prediction of a Supersolid Phase in High-Pressure Deuterium

Supersolid is a mysterious and puzzling state of matter whose possible existence has stirred a vigorous debate among physicists for over 60 years. Its elusive nature stems from the coexistence of two seemingly contradicting properties, long-range order and superfluidity. We report computational evidence of a supersolid phase of deuterium under high pressure (p > 800 GPa) and low temperature (T < 1.0 K). In our simulations, that are based on bosonic path integral molecular dynamics, we observe a highly concerted exchange of atoms while the system preserves its crystalline order. The exchange processes are favored by the soft core interactions between deuterium atoms that form a densely packed metallic solid. At the zero temperature limit, Bose-Einstein condensation is observed as the permutation probability of N deuterium atoms approaches 1/N with a fmite superfluid fraction. Our study provides concrete evidence for the existence of a supersolid phase in high-pressure deuterium and could provide insights on the future investigation of supersolid phases in real materials.

Automated summary

This study reports computational evidence of a supersolid phase of deuterium under high pressure and low temperature. The researchers observed a highly concerted exchange of atoms while the system maintained its crystalline order, and the Bose-Einstein condensation phenomenon was observed. This study provides concrete evidence for the existence of a supersolid phase in high-pressure deuterium and could contribute to future investigations of supersolid phases in real materials.