Intermolecular coupling and fluxional behavior of hydrogen in phase IV.

We performed Raman and infrared (IR) spectroscopy measurements of hydrogen at 295 K up to 280 GPa at an IR synchrotron facility of the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility (SSRF). To reach the highest pressure, hydrogen was loaded into toroidal diamond anvils with 30-μm central culet. The intermolecular coupling has been determined by concomitant measurements of the IR and Raman vibron modes. In phase IV, we find that the intermolecular coupling is much stronger in the graphenelike layer (G layer) of elongated molecules compared to the Br2-like layer (B layer) of shortened molecules and it increases with pressure much faster in the G layer compared to the B layer. These heterogeneous lattice dynamical properties are unique features of highly fluxional hydrogen phase IV.