High Pressure Structual Response of Materials

High pressures generated by diamond anvil cells (DACs) can be coupled with in situ­­ X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy to analyze the structure of materials. DACs can subject materials to pressures of 100’s of GPa, equivalent to the center of the earth. Analyzing materials in these conditions provides insights into how disorder progresses when materials are subjected to extreme environments. The high transmittance of diamonds to incoming radiation allows for the high pressures generated by DACs to be coupled with other extreme environments and experimental techniques. High temperatures generated by laser heating can allow for simultaneous high temperature and high pressure, and swift heavy ions and ultrafast lasers can both irradiate materials pressurized in a DAC.