| viXra.org > Condensed Matter > 2606 |
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| viXra.org > Condensed Matter > 2606 |
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[2] viXra:2606.0087 [pdf] submitted on 2026-06-23 20:00:56
Authors: Giustino Travaglini
Comments: 10 Pages.
The realization of metallic hydrogen at ambient temperature and pressure remains one of the most compelling goals in condensed-matter physics, promising a high-temperature superconductor, a revolutionary propellant, and a window into quantum phase transitions. While static compression experiments above 400 GPa have provided tentative evidence for the metallic state, its recovery to ambient conditions has proved elusive because of the vanishingly small kinetic barriers that separate the atomic metallic phase from the molecular insulating ground state at zero pressure. Here I propose a concrete, experimentally accessible strategy—Diamond-Confined Metallic Hydrogen (DCMH)—that combines three interlocking physical mechanisms: (i) sub-nanometer confinement of hydrogen within a fully sp³-bonded diamond-like carbon matrix, which delivers chemical internal pressures sufficient to reach the metallization density; (ii) topological frustration of the molecular Hu2082 recombination path, raising the kinetic barrier to geological timescales; and (iii) optional resonant quantum electrodynamic (QED) vacuum engineering using a tunable optical cavity to induce vacuum-mediated spin pairing, thereby lowering the free energy of the metallic state and rendering it thermodynamically competitive at 300 K and 0 GPa. The entire procedure can be executed in existing high-pressure laboratories using multi-anvil presses, DAC gas-loading systems, and table-top cavity QED setups. I present detailed DFT-based estimates of confinement densities, kinetic barrier heights, and cavity-enhanced pairing gaps, together with a full experimental protocol for synthesis, decompression, and characterization. This roadmap transforms metallic hydrogen from a high-pressure curiosity into a designer material that can be handled at ambient conditions
Category: Condensed Matter
[1] viXra:2606.0084 [pdf] submitted on 2026-06-21 16:34:09
Authors: Giustino Travaglini
Comments: 11 Pages.
The recovery of metallic hydrogen at ambient temperature and pressure remains a grand challenge, largely because the kinetic barriers preventing the back-conversion to molecular Hu2082 are too small in the pure atomic phase. Here I propose a radically new approach that merges three frontier technologies: (i) chemical precompression of hydrogen inside a diamond-like carbon (DLC) matrix patterned with sub-nanometer cavities, (ii) extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and High-NA EUV lithography to sculpt this matrix with near-atomic precision, and (iii) resonant vacuum quantum electrodynamic (QED) stabilization via an on-chip optical cavity fabricated in the same lithographic workflow. The core idea is to exploit the unique capabilities of EUV photons (92 eV) to crosslink diamondoid self-assembled monolayers into a rigid, fully sp³-bonded carbon network containing a periodic array of identical pores. After high-pressure hydrogen loading and controlled decompression, the hydrogen remains permanently locked at metallic densities by the mechanical strength of the DLC scaffold. Kinetic barriers are amplified by topological frustration and exceed 1.8 eV per H atom, ensuring geological metastability. An integrated Fabry—Pérot cavity tuned to the hydrogen plasma frequency enhances vacuum-mediated electron pairing, potentially tipping the thermodynamic balance and making the metallic state the true ground state. I present a detailed fabrication protocol compatible with existing EUV scanners and multi-anvil presses, quantitative DFT estimates of the confinement-induced metallization, and a full device architecture for a superconducting hydrogen chip. This roadmap transforms metallic hydrogen from a high-pressure curiosity into a designable material platform, accessible with the tools of the semiconductor industry in the 2026—2030 timeframe.
Category: Condensed Matter
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