Metallic hydrogen

Metallic hydrogen is a phase of hydrogen that occurs under extremely high pressure, causing it to behave like an electrical conductor—similar to metals like copper or gold. Normally, hydrogen is a gas, but under intense compression (found deep inside Jupiter or artificially in labs), its electrons become free to move, giving it metallic properties. Scientists are interested in metallic hydrogen because it could be a super-efficient energy carrier and might exhibit superconductivity at relatively higher temperatures. While still challenging to produce and study, its existence hints at novel materials with remarkable properties and implications for energy and planetary science.