For The First Time In History, A Team Has Created Liquid Carbon In The Lab

In a scientific first, researchers at the University of Rostock and Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) have successfully created liquid carbon under laboratory conditions.

Liquid carbon has never naturally existed on Earth and typically forms only under conditions found deep inside planets like Neptune or Uranus. Producing it in a lab required temperatures above 4,500°C and immense pressures. Using the DiPOLE 100-X laser, one of the world’s most powerful diode-pumped solid-state lasers, the team managed to recreate those extreme environments. By firing rapid, ultra-short laser pulses at vitreous carbon samples, they reached pressures up to 160 gigapascals. Observations using the European XFEL’s powerful X-ray imaging confirmed the successful formation of liquid carbon.

According to Professor Dominik Kraus, the study’s lead coordinator, this is the first time scientists have directly observed the internal structure of liquid carbon. He described it as a complex and previously unknown state of matter with properties that could impact multiple scientific fields.

One of the most promising implications of this discovery lies in nuclear fusion. Liquid carbon’s high melting point and thermal stability make it an ideal candidate for use in fusion reactor components, particularly in roles requiring resistance to extreme heat and radiation. The study also provided new, precise measurements of carbon’s melting point, resolving long-standing uncertainties and enabling better design and simulation in fusion technology.

Beyond its technical applications, this research offers new insights into planetary science. The experimental conditions closely resemble those inside ice giants like Uranus and Neptune, where liquid carbon may naturally occur. This discovery could help scientists better model the internal structure and dynamics of these distant worlds, potentially explaining phenomena like diamond formation deep within their cores.

Crucial to this breakthrough were the DiPOLE 100-X laser, developed by the Central Laser Facility and the University of Oxford, and the European XFEL, which provided the tools necessary to observe and confirm the reaction in real time. These advanced technologies allowed the team to push scientific boundaries once thought unreachable.

Published in Nature, the study marks a new chapter in high-pressure physics. Liquid carbon may now become a cornerstone for innovations that help address some of the planet’s most urgent technological and environmental challenges.