Isostructural Phase Transition of Fe 2 O 3 under Laser Shock Compression
We present in situ x-ray diffraction and velocity measurements of Fe 2 O 3 under laser shock compression at pressures between 38–122 GPa. None of the high-pressure phases reported by static compression studies were observed. Instead, we observed an isostructural phase transition from 𝛼−Fe 2 O 3 to a new 𝛼′−Fe 2 O 3 phase at a pressure of 50–62 GPa. The 𝛼′−Fe 2 O 3 phase differs from 𝛼−Fe 2 O 3 by an 11% volume drop and a different unit cell compressibility. We further observed a two-wave structure in the velocity profile, which can be related to an intermediate regime where both 𝛼 and 𝛼′ phases coexist. Furthermore, density functional theory calculations with a Hubbard parameter indicate that the observed unit cell volume drop can be associated with a spin transition following a magnetic collapse.