Optical absorption of solid xenon at high pressure

Abstract

The optical absorption of solid xenon has been studied in a diamond anvil cell up to pressures of 44 GPa in the spectral range of 2.5 to 5 eV. The onset of weak uv absorption above 36 GPa is attributed to indirect $5d$ -$5d$ interband transitions of Xe. At 44 GPa the optical gap is 3.9±0.3 eV, in reasonable agreement with band-structure calculations of Ross and McMahan, but in sharp contrast to the reported metallization of Xe at 33 GPa.