XAS investigations of local atomic and bonding properties in liquid Ge under shock compression

Elemental Ge is one of the archetypal single component substances extensively studied over the years for exploring the behavior of liquid-liquid transitions. Nevertheless, the low-density semiconducting liquid observed in computer simulations yet to be experimentally observed for non-ambiguous interpretations of the properties of the liquid and as well as the nature of amorphous-amorphous transition w(which is believed to be thermodynamically linked with the transition in the liquid). The stable liquid above the melting line, on the other hand, is expected to be more closely packed (with enhanced metallic bonding) under high pressure. We aim to study the local structure and bonding characteristics of liquid Ge under extended pressure and temperature ranges by means of XAS measurements under shock compression. Expected results will have strong implications for understanding the liquid phases of simple covalent substances (like Si and others) under extreme conditions.