Dual quantum locking: Dynamic coupling of H ₂ and H ₂ O sublattices in hydrogen-filled ice

Abstract

Hydrogen hydrates (HH) are a unique class of materials composed of hydrogen molecules confined within crystalline water frameworks. Among their multiple phases, the filled ice structures, particularly the cubic C2 phase, exhibit exceptionally strong host–guest interactions due to ultra-short H 2 -H 2 O distances and a 1:1 stoichiometry leading to two interpenetrated identical diamond-like sublattices, one comprised of water molecules, the other of hydrogen molecules. At high pressures, nuclear-quantum effects involving both hydrogen molecules and the water lattice become dominant, giving rise to a dual-lattice quantum system. In this work, we explore the sequence of pressure- and temperature-driven phase transitions in HH, focusing on the interplay between molecular rotation, orientational ordering, lattice symmetry breaking, and hydrogen bond symmetrization. Using a combination of computational modeling based on classical and path-integral molecular dynamics, quantum embedding, and high pressure experiments, including Raman spectroscopy and synchrotron X-ray diffraction at low temperatures and high pressures, we identify signatures of quantum-induced ordering and structural transformations in the C2 phase. Our findings reveal that orientational ordering in HH occurs at much lower pressures than in solid hydrogen, by inducing structural changes in the water network and enhancing the coupling of water and hydrogen dynamics. This work provides insights into the quantum behavior of hydrogen under extreme mechanochemical confinement and establishes hydrogen-filled ices as a promising platform for the design of hydrogen-rich quantum materials.