Stabilization of Metallic, Excitonic Insulator, and Superionic Phases in Helium-Rare Gas Compounds at Sub-Terapascal Pressures

TL;DR

This study predicts stable helium-rare gas compounds at sub-terapascal pressures, revealing new phases including metallic, excitonic insulator, and superionic states, with implications for planetary science and condensed matter physics.

Contribution

It introduces the first predictions of helium-based systems that stabilize metallic, excitonic insulator, and superionic phases at accessible pressures, expanding understanding of high-pressure quantum states.

Findings

Discovery of stable He-RG compounds at sub-TPa pressures.

Identification of metallic and excitonic insulator phases in He-Xe systems.

Prediction of superionic helium-rare gas phases with anisotropic diffusion.

Abstract

Helium and rare gases (RG: Ne, Ar, Kr, Xe) are typically considered chemically inert, yet under the extreme pressures of planetary interiors they may form compounds with unexpected properties. Using crystal structure prediction and first-principles calculations, we mapped the phase diagram of binary He-RG systems up to $1$ TPa. We identify several previously unknown stoichiometric compounds that are both thermodynamically and vibrationally stable at sub-terapascal pressures, within the reach of modern high-pressure experiments. In particular, AHe$_{2}$ and AHe (A: Ar, Kr, Xe) adopt previously unreported orthorhombic, hexagonal and cubic phases that remain stable over wide pressure ranges. We further find that He-Xe systems host metallic and excitonic insulator phases at pressures nearly an order of magnitude lower than those required for pure helium, offering a pathway to realize these exotic quantum states experimentally. Finite-temperature simulations also reveal superionic He-Xe phases, in which helium ions diffuse either anisotropically or isotropically depending on the host lattice. These findings constitute the first prediction of helium-based systems that combine metallicity and superionicity, with profound implications for energy transport and planetary dynamo processes. Overall, our results demonstrate that mixing helium with heavier rare gases provides an effective strategy to stabilize metallic, excitonic insulator, and superionic phases at experimentally accessible pressures, opening new research directions for condensed matter physics and planetary science.