Pressure-induced metallization in Erbium trihydride

Electrical resistivity and Raman spectra of ErH3 were studied in a diamond anvil cell under high pressure up to 140 GPa in the temperature range 4-300 K. A crossover from a semiconductor-like to a metallic temperature dependence of resistivity at fixed pressures was observed at about 50 GPa. In the pressure range 80-140 GPa a resistivity maximum was observed at the R(T) dependencies. The temperature corresponding to this maximum linearly increased with pressure increase, reaching 26 K at 140 GPa. No superconductivity was observed in the studied pressure-temperature range.