Nuclear spin correlations and collective excitations in supercritical H$_2$

TL;DR

This study provides the first evidence of nuclear spin correlations and collective excitations in molecular hydrogen at relatively high temperatures, achieved through confinement in graphitic pores, revealing a new quantum phase.

Contribution

It demonstrates nuclear spin coupling and collective excitations in H₂ at 74-92 K, a phenomenon previously only observed at millikelvin temperatures in superfluid helium.

Findings

Nuclear spin correlations in H₂ observed at 74-92 K.

Detection of collective excitations with an effective mass of nine H₂ molecules.

Confinement in graphitic pores enables control of nuclear spin correlations.

Abstract

Nuclear spins are known to experience spontaneous long-range correlations only below 2.5 mili-Kelvin in superfluid $^3$He. Here we present the first evidence of nuclear spin coupling in molecular hydrogen (H$_2$) at 74-92 Kelvin using neutron scattering, showing a fundamental change in nature from the incoherent scattering universally expected from hydrogen, which reflects single particle properties of uncorrelated nuclear spins, to coherent, with a peak materializing on the elastic line, indicating H$_2$-H$_2$ nuclear spin correlations. In this novel phase, the dynamic response of the system also changes nature, and collective excitations with an effective mass of nine H$_2$ are observed with inelastic scattering at momentum transfers up to 37 \AA$^{-1}$, corresponding to length scales smaller than the H-H bond, where previous experiments have always found single atom excitations. This novel behavior has only been observed from H$_2$ within the subnanometer sized graphitic pores of a carbon material, marking the first demonstration that a confined materials environment can be used to control nuclear spin correlations.