Synchrotron radiation and laser heating in a diamond anvil cell

The last decade has seen the development of very bright third generation x-ray synchrotron sources that have significantly improved x-ray diffraction experiments at high pressure and high temperature. In the same time, focusing optics as well as detectors have been improved in such a way that x-ray diffraction experiments can be routinely carried out on samples in laser-heated diamond anvil-cell, i.e., under extreme static pressure and temperature conditions. It is now possible to obtain from a laser heated sample in a diamond anvil cell (DAC) very high quality powder patterns, needed for accurate in situ phase boundary and pressure-volume-temperature equation of state determinations, as well as for structural refinements. The setup for in situ x-ray investigation at simultaneous high pressure and temperature is complex, since perfect alignment of x-ray path, infrared-laser hot spot, and optical temperature measurement is required. It provides, however, the most accurate information on the structural behavior with step by step increases of pressure and temperature. In addition, a range of experiments can also be realized at room temperature after laser annealing of DAC samples, which has been shown very efficient in releasing stresses build on compression, and/or overcoming phase transitions kinetic barriers.