Carnegie scientists are the first to discover the conditions
under which nickel oxide can turn into an electricity-conducting metal. Nickel
oxide is one of the first compounds to be studied for its electronic
properties, but until now scientists have not been able to induce a metallic
state. The compound becomes metallic at enormous pressures of 2.4 million times
the atmospheric pressure (240 gigapascals). The finding is published in
Physical Review Letters.