Structural and electrical properties of beryllium metal to 66 GPa studied using designer diamond anvils

Abstract

The structural and electrical properties of alkaline-earth metal beryllium were studied to 66 GPa using designer diamond anvils. The ambient pressure hexagonal close-packed phase was found to be stable to the highest pressure of 66 GPa and the measured static equation of state differs substantially from the one derived from the existing shock wave data. The electrical resistance data at high pressure shows a gradual decrease in resistance to pressure up to 25 GPa followed by a slight increase to 53 GPa. The axial ratio $(c/a)$ remains strongly nonideal with $c/a=1.562$ at ${V/V}_{0}=0.708,$ indicating that deviations from nearly free electron behavior are still dominant at high compressions.