Boron (B) belongs to the group of element situated between metals and insulators in the periodic table. Though the balance between metallic and insulating tendencies could be altered via pressure and temperatures, the question of whether liquid B is metal or not remains controversial and unsolved. We have carried out high resolution Compton scattering measurements on solid and liquid B and interpreted the results in terms of CPMD simulations, and then conclude that semiconducting properties dominates the physical properties of liquid B.

Researcher Information
JST PRESTO
Research Area "New Materials Science and Element Strategy"
Research Theme "Investigation of material processes using supercooled liquids"

Journal Information
J.T. Okada, P.H.-L. Sit, Y. Watanabe, B. Barbiellini, T. Ishikawa, Y.J. Wang, M. Itou, Y. Sakurai, A. Bansil, R. Ishikawa, M. Hamaishi, P.-F. Paradis, K. Kimura, T. Ishikawa, and S. Nanao. "Visualizing the Mixed Bonding Properties of Liquid Boron with High-Resolution X-Ray Compton Scattering". Physical Review Letters, Published online 28 April 2015, doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.114.177401.

Contact
[About Research]
Junpei T. Okada, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerodpace Exploration Agency
E-mail:
URL: http://www.isas.jaxa.jp/home/iss/lab/ishikawa/index.htm

[About Program]
Masashi Furukawa
Green Innovation Group, Department of Innovation Research, JST
E-mail:

• Japanese