Turning light gases like hydrogen and nitrogen into metal is a long-standing dream of physicists. In a new experiment, nitrogen was compressed to 130–140 gigapascals (pressure equivalent to 14 million kilograms pressing on a fingernail) and heated to 3000°C. The atoms lined up into rigid chains resembling microscopic wires, acquiring a metallic luster and electrical conductivity. X-rays and spectroscopy showed that these chains zigzag like amphitheater seats.
The new material surprises with its dual nature. When cooled to -250°C, it becomes a superconductor — current flows without the slightest resistance. Under ordinary conditions, the substance doesn't decay, even though each gram harbors 8.78 kilojoules — twice as much as TNT. That's equivalent to the energy of a car falling from the tenth floor. Such threads will pave the way for ultra-high-performance microchips and compact energy storage.
Until now, metallic nitrogen was only obtained in a three-dimensional form, unstable once pressure was removed. The new one-dimensional form is the first to survive under ordinary conditions.