Electronic topological transition in zinc under shock compression revealed by electrical resistivity measurements
Phys. Rev. B 112, 195130 – Published 24 November, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/s3h3-6198
Abstract
Electronic topological transitions (ETTs) are characterized by abrupt changes in Fermi-surface topology, which can lead to pronounced anomalies in the physical properties of transition metals under high pressure-temperature () conditions. Zinc (Zn), a group-IIB transition metal with a fully occupied shell and a highly anisotropic hexagonal structure, has been proposed to undergo a Lifshitz-type ETT at ∼6–10 GPa. However, its existence and thermodynamic characteristics at high P-T remained unresolved. Here, we investigate the longitudinal sound velocity of Zn up to ∼11 GPa and the electrical resistivity up to ∼20 GPa and ∼430 K under shock compression, using the reverse-impact configuration and four-probe technique, respectively. The sound velocity evolves smoothly with pressure across the investigated range, with no detectable elastic or structural anomalies. In contrast, the electrical resistivity exhibits a notable slope change at 14(1) GPa, followed by a steeper pressure dependence. This anomaly aligns with the pressure-induced ETT identified in static compression studies, but occurs at a higher critical pressure under shock loading. This shift highlights the influence of shock-elevated temperature and dynamic compression in delaying the onset of the transition. The more rapid increase in resistivity within the ETT is attributed to Fermi-surface reconstruction, which modifies band curvature, carrier effective mass, and scattering rates. These results provide strong experimental evidence for the ETT in Zn under high conditions, and demonstrate that dynamic resistivity measurements serve as a sensitive probe of subtle electronic transitions in transition metals.