Ultrahigh-pressure experiment with a motor-driven diamond anvil cell

J Phys Condens Matter. 2006 Jun 28;18(25):S1069-73. doi: 10.1088/0953-8984/18/25/S13. Epub 2006 Jun 9.

Abstract

A Pt sample was compressed to ultrahigh pressures in a diamond anvil cell (DAC) using a motorized gearbox to change pressure remotely from outside the synchrotron x-ray hutch. In situ angle-dispersive x-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to determine pressure from known equations of state (EOS). The sample position was unperturbed during motor-driven pressure changes. By eliminating the need to realign the sample to the x-ray position after each pressure increment, 142 XRD patterns could be collected continuously over the course of three hours, and the maximum pressure of 230 GPa was reached before diamond failure ended the experiment. We demonstrate the advantages of this motor-driven assembly for smooth and efficient pressure change, and the possibility for fine pressure and temporal resolution.