Viilaa High-Purity Lutetium Dihydride Used in High-Pressure Optical Research at the Institute of Physics, CAS

On April 10, 2023, a study of the high-pressure optical behavior of lutetium dihydride (LuH₂), conducted by researchers from the Institute of Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, and the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, was published online in the international journal Science Bulletin.

The paper, “Pressure tuning of optical reflectivity in LuH₂,” used 99.9%-pure lutetium dihydride powder supplied by Jiangxi Viilaa Metal Materials Co., Ltd. to examine color changes and optical reflectivity under different pressure conditions.

Lutetium Dihydride Shows Continuous Color Changes Under Pressure

Powder X-ray diffraction confirmed that the principal phase was cubic LuH₂ with a fluorite structure. The researchers then prepared flakes approximately 5–10 μm thick, loaded them into a diamond-anvil cell, and measured visible-to-near-infrared reflectance at pressures up to approximately 14 GPa.

The samples appeared lustrous blue at ambient pressure. As pressure increased, the color changed continuously—becoming dark red near 3 GPa and bright orange above approximately 12 GPa.

The study attributes this continuous color evolution primarily to pressure-induced shifts in plasma frequency and the plasma edge. Increasing pressure strengthens red-light reflectance while suppressing blue-light reflectance, producing the visible color transition.

Material Performance Supports Frontier Experimental Research

The paper reports that the measured optical characteristics are broadly consistent with earlier findings and indicate the good quality of the LuH₂ samples used.

Rare-earth hydrides such as lutetium dihydride have attracted sustained interest in condensed-matter physics and high-pressure materials research because of their distinctive electronic structures, pressure response, and potential quantum-material properties. This study further clarifies the relationship between optical reflectivity and color change in pressurized LuH₂ and provides new experimental evidence for understanding the optical and electronic behavior of rare-earth hydrides.

Note: This study focuses on the high-pressure optical reflectivity and color changes of lutetium dihydride. The paper does not report superconductivity in the tested LuH₂ samples within the experimental pressure range.

Continuing to Support Advanced Materials and Research Applications

Jiangxi Viilaa Metal Materials Co., Ltd. develops, manufactures, and supplies high-purity metals, rare-earth and rare metals, functional powders, PVD coating materials, and materials for CVD precursors.

We provide research institutions and industrial customers with material solutions in varied purities, particle sizes, forms, and packaging specifications, supporting experimental research and application development in high-pressure physics, thin-film deposition, semiconductors, new energy, and advanced functional materials.

Viilaa will continue strengthening its high-purity material preparation and quality-control capabilities to provide stable, reliable material support for frontier science and advanced manufacturing.