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Observation of ΔJ=0 Rotational Excitation in Dense Hydrogens

Jie Feng1,2, Xiao-Di Liu1,*, Haian Xu1,3, Pu Wang1,2, Graeme J. Ackland4, and Eugene Gregoryanz3,1,4,5,†

  • *Contact author: xiaodi@issp.ac.cn
  • †Contact author: e.gregoryanz@sharps.ac.cn
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Phys. Rev. Lett. 136, 016101 – Published 5 January, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/7m51-n6w7

Abstract

Raman measurements performed on dense H2, D2 and H2+D2 in a wide pressure-temperature range reveal the presence of the ΔJ=0 rotational excitation. In the gas/fluid state this excitation has zero Raman shift, but in the solid, the crystal field drives it away from the zero value, e.g., ∼75  cm−1 at around 50 GPa and 10 K for both isotopes and their mixture. In the case of deuterium, the ΔJ=0 mode splits upon entering phase II suggesting a very complex molecular environment of the broken symmetry phase (BSP). In the fluid state and phases I and II the frequencies (energies) of the ΔJ=0 transition for H2 and D2 scale neither as rotational (by factor of 2) nor vibrational (by 2) modes and appear to be completely isotope independent. This independence on mass marks this transition as unique and a fundamentally different type of excitation from the commonly considered harmonic oscillator and quantum rotor.

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Phys. Rev. Lett. 136, 016101– Published 5 January, 2026
  • Received 10 July 2025
  • Revised 23 November 2025
  • Accepted 9 December 2025
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