Conical support for double-stage diamond anvil apparatus

ABSTRACT

Both micro-paired and conical support type double-stage diamond anvil cells (ds-DAC) were tested using a newly synthesized ultra-fine nano-polycrystalline diamond (NPD). Well-focused X-ray sub-micron beam and the conically supported 2nd stage anvils (micro-anvils) with 10?μm culet enable us to obtain good quality X-ray diffraction peaks from the sample at around 400?GPa. The relationship between confining pressure and sample pressure depends heavily on the initial height (thickness) of micro-anvils, the difference of a few micrometers leads to a quite different compression path. The conical support type is a solution to retain both enough thickness and strength of micro-anvils at higher confining pressure conditions. All conical support ds-DAC experiments terminated by the failure of the 1st stage anvil instead of 2nd one. The combination of ultra-fine NPD 2nd stage anvil and NPD 1st stage anvil opens a new frontier for measurement of the X-ray absorption spectrum above 300?GPa.     

High pressure generation using double-stage diamond anvil technique: problems and equations of state of rhenium

We have developed a double stage diamond anvil cell (ds-DAC) technique for reproducible pressure by precisely fabricating 2nd stage anvils using a focused ion beam system. We used 2nd stage micro-anvils made of ultra-fine (V/V₀?=?0.633 for the smallest d-spacing. The calculated pressure for this minimum volume varies from 430 to 630?GPa, depending on the choice of the equation of state of rhenium. We conclude that the most likely pressure achieved for the minimum volume of rhenium is in a range of 430–460?GPa based on a calibration using the platinum pressure scale to 280?GPa and the latter value of 630?GPa is unreasonably high, suggesting that the pressures in an earlier study for the equation of state of rhenium would have been significantly overestimated.     

High pressure studies using two-stage diamond micro-anvils grown by chemical vapor deposition

Ultra-high static pressures have been achieved in the laboratory using a two-stage micro-ball nanodiamond anvils as well as a two-stage micro-paired diamond anvils machined using a focused ion-beam system. The two-stage diamond anvils’ designs implemented thus far suffer from a limitation of one diamond anvil sliding past another anvil at extreme conditions. We describe a new method of fabricating two-stage diamond micro-anvils using a tungsten mask on a standard diamond anvil followed by microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (CVD) homoepitaxial diamond growth. A prototype two-stage diamond anvil with 300?µm culet and with a CVD diamond second stage of 50?µm in diameter was fabricated. We have carried out preliminary high pressure X-ray diffraction studies on a sample of rare-earth metal lutetium sample with a copper pressure standard to 86?GPa. The micro-anvil grown by CVD remained intact during indentation of gasket as well as on decompression from the highest pressure of 86?GPa.     

Neutron diffraction experiments in diamond and sapphire anvil cells

Diamond anvil cells (DAC) provide the highest static pressures ≥1?Mbar. Because of the low intensity of neutron sources, for a long time it was thought impossible to use DAC or other anvil cells in neutron experiments. We describe pressure cells with diamond and sapphire anvils and neutron instrumentation allowing neutron diffraction experiments to be carried out under pressures as high as 50?GPa, temperatures down to 0.1?K, and applied magnetic fields up to 7.5?T.     

复合型多晶金刚石末级压砧的制备并标定六面顶压机6-8型压腔压力至35GPa

通过分析二级6-8型大腔体静高压装置八面体压腔的受力状况, 研制了一种使用成本低、尺寸大且易于加工的多晶金刚石-硬质合金复合二级(末级)顶锤(压砧). 采用原位电阻测量观测Zr在高压下相变(α-ω, 7.96 GPa; ω-β, 34.5 GPa)的方法, 标定了由多晶金刚石-硬质合金复合末级压砧构建的5.5/1.5(传压介质边长/二级顶锤锤面边长, 单位: mm)组装的腔体压力. 实验表明, 自行研制的多晶金刚石-硬质合金复合末级压砧可使基于国产六面顶压机构架的二级加压系统的压力产生上限从约20 GPa提高到35 GPa以上, 拓展了国内大腔体静高压技术的压力产生范围. 应用这一技术, 我们期望经过末级压砧材料与压腔设计的进一步优化, 在基于国产六面顶压机的二级6-8 型大腔体静高压装置压腔中产生超过50 GPa的高压. 关键词： 二级6-8型大腔体静高压装置 多晶金刚石-硬质合金复合末级压砧 压力标定     

Optically monitored high-pressure gas loading apparatus for diamond anvil cells

We describe a high-pressure system built to load rare gases (He, Ar, Ne) in various types of diamond anvil cells, at room temperature. These gases are used as pressure transmitting media to obtain the best hydrostatic compression conditions in high-pressure experiments. Optical windows allow control of the loading process. The loading success rate is close to 100% and the initial pressures in the diamond anvil cell are in between 0.2 and 1?GPa. This system can easily be adapted for loading of various gaseous samples, including gas mixtures, which generally cannot be loaded by cryogenic methods.     

Synthetic diamonds for multimegabar pressures in the diamond anvil cell

Abstract

Synthetic Type 1b yellow diamonds containing nitrogen in substitutional form and with extremely low birefringence were used as anvils for ultra high pressures in the diamond anvil cell. Pressures were measured by the ruby fluorescence technique to above 200 GPa. Using x-ray diffraction the maximum pressure was 210 GPa, while an x-ray based pressure of 245 GPa was achieved with natural diamonds with a somewhat more optimal geometry. Nitrogen platelets appear to be not essential for exceeding 200 GPa. The optical properties of synthetic diamond at ambient and megabar stresses will be discussed.     

Opposed type double stage cell for Mbar pressure experiment with large sample volume

ABSTRACT

A new opposed type double-stage large volume cell has been developed to compress large volume samples to more than 100?GPa (Mbar) pressure. A pair of second-stage diamond anvils is introduced into the first-stage Paris–Edinburgh press. The double-stage large volume cell allows the generation of ultrahigh pressures using a large culet diameter of the second-stage diamond anvils (diameters of 0.5–1.2?mm). Pressure generation up to 131?GPa has been achieved by using the culet diameter of 0.5?mm. Sample volume of the double-stage large volume cell can be more than ～100 times larger than that of conventional Mbar experiment using a diamond anvil cell. The double-stage large volume cell has a large opening in the horizontal plane for X-ray measurements, which is particularly suited for the multi-angle energy dispersive X-ray diffraction measurement, thus opening a new way of in situ structural determinations of amorphous materials at Mbar pressures.     

Elastic and plastic deformation of NaCl and Ni3Al polycrystals during compression in a multi-anvil apparatus

Abstract

The compression behaviour in a multi-anvil apparatus of pure NaCl and of a foil of Ni₃Al embedded in a pressure medium of NaCl has been studied by energy-dispersive X-ray diffraction. At ambient temperature, the pressure and stresses, determined from line positions of NaCl, were constant throughout the sample chamber. Line positions and line widths of NaCl reflections were reversible on pressure release. A saturation of microstrains observed in NaCl at 2 GPa is thus attributed to brittle fracture setting in at uniaxial stresses of around 0.3 GPa. Ni₃Al polycrystals, in contrast, undergo extensive (ductile) plastic deformation above 4 GPa. The compression behaviour of both Ni₃Al and NaCl is identical to that previously determined in a diamond anvil cell. While a multi-anvil device thus has the advantage, compared with a diamond anvil cell, of constant pressure and stress throughout the sample chamber, microstrains in poly-crystalline samples arise in both devices. Samples in a multi-anvil apparatus thus need to be mixed with a pressure medium and to consist of essentially single crystals just as in a diamond anvil cell. Annealing experiments at high pressures confirm that the release of the uniaxial stress component in the pressure medium does not cause a release of microstrains in the embedded sample if the latter has been plastically deformed. Annealing for the purpose of attaining hydrostatic conditions in compression studies thus has to be carried out with care.     

Infrared Spectra of Crystalline,Glassy and Liquid Methanol at High Pressures

Abstract

Mid-infrared spectra in the range 400–1800 cm^?1 of methanol samples in diamond anvil cells at ambient temperature and pressures up to 11 GPa are reported. The freezing pressure is confirmed to be 3.6 GPa, and the spectra of the resulting metastable glass are very similar to those of the liquid. When maintained at high pressure, the glass spontaneously transforms to an ordered crystalline phase which is stable over the range 3.6 to 11 GPa. Small changes in peak wavenumbers for 14 internal modes as a function of pressure are observed, indicating that distortion of the molecules is minimal. A slight decrease for the C-O-H bending mode is attributed to charge transfer from the molecular 0-H bond to the strengthening intermolecular hydrogen bond.     

High pressure electrical transport behavior in organic semiconductor pentacene

The high pressure electrical transport behavior of pentacene has been investigated by alternating current impedance techniques and direct current resistivity measurement in a diamond anvil cell (DAC). The resistance decreases with increasing pressure below 17.4?GPa, while it increases above 17.4?GPa, which is caused by the transition of pentacene from an ordered state to the disordered state under higher pressure. From the Raman spectra under various pressures, pentacene becomes amorphous above 17.3?GPa, which is consistent with the impedance results. The charge transport operates in the hopping regime with charges jumping between interacting molecules, and the hopping mechanisms are related to the vibration modes. Above 17.4?GPa, the pressure dependence of the relaxation activation energy is 21.7?meV/GPa and pentacene keeps semiconductor characteristics up to 28.3?GPa.     

Gold under high pressure

Abstract

First principle predictions for the equation of state of gold using solid and liquid state theories are compared up to combined pressures and temperatures of 600 GPa and 17 000 K with static diamond anvil cell compression, ultrasonic measurements and shock Hugoniot data which include a recent laser driven shock Hugoniot points at 600 GPa. Excellent agreement between theoretical and experimental data is observed. The theoretically estimated 300 K isotherm agrees to within 2 GPa with the isotherm that has been measured to 70 GPa using the diamond anvil cell. The structural energy estimates show that the normal f.c.c. phase remains stable under pressure. The estimate of the shock Hugoniot temperature of gold at 600 GPa based on a liquid state model is consistent with the measurements of laser induced shock luminescence, which in fact provides an experimental determination of the temperature of gold above its Hugoniot melting point. The powerful means provided by theory in the prediction of material properties of gold at ultra high pressures and temperatures is significant because gold is an efficient converter of laser energy into soft X-rays and is a potential candidate as a standard for high pressure, high temperature work.     

Diamond anvil Raman gauge in multimegabar pressure range

The first-order Raman band of diamond anvils has been investigated at pressure up to 380 GPa in order to develop an optical pressure determination method. The high frequency edge of the band was calibrated by the pressure scale of the equation of state of Pt. The universality of the relationship between the sample pressure and the edge-frequency was confirmed up to 370 GPa and the usefulness of the diamond anvil Raman gauge was demonstrated. Using the diamond anvil Raman spectroscopy, the stress-state of the anvil culet was directly observed in the multimegabar pressure range. Obtained pressure dependence of the shear stress suggested further extension of feasible pressure beyond 400 GPa.     

Structural and magnetic phase transitions in gadolinium under high pressures and low temperatures

High pressure structural transition studies have been carried out on rare earth metal gadolinium in a diamond anvil cell at room temperature to 169?GPa. Gadolinium has been compressed to 38% of its initial volume at this pressure. With increasing pressure, a crystal structure sequence of hcp?→?Sm-type?→?dhcp?→?fcc?→?dfcc?→?monoclinic has been observed in our studies on gadolinium. The measured equation of state of gadolinium is presented to 169?GPa at ambient temperature. Magnetic ordering temperature of gadolinium has been studied using designer diamond anvils to a pressure of 25?GPa and a temperature of 10?K. The magnetic ordering temperature has been determined from the four-point electrical resistivity measurements carried out on gadolinium. Our experiments show that the magnetic transition temperature decreases with increasing pressure to 19?GPa and then increases when gadolinium is subjected to higher pressures.     

Infrared Spectra of Liquid and Crystalline Ethanol at High Pressures

Abstract

Mid-infrared spectra in the ranges 400–1800 and 2700–4600 cm^?1 of ethanol samples in diamond anvil cells at ambient temperature and pressures up to 11 GPa are reported. The freezing pressure is confirmed to be 1.8 GPa, and, unlike methanol, the resulting solid is crystalline rather than glassy. No further phase transitions are observed in this pressure range. The wave number shifts of 30 selected peaks with pressure are deduced, and their small magnitudes indicate that only minor distortions of the molecules occur. The effects of the strengthening of the intermolecular hydrogen bonds with pressure on the internal modes are briefly discussed.     

CsBr高压X光研究

 采用同步辐射X光源和能散法，对CsBr粉末样品进行高压原位X光衍射实验。由金刚石对顶压砧高压装置（DAC）产生高压，用已知状态方程的Pt粉末作内标，由Pt的衍射数据确定样品压力，最高压力达64.4 GPa。实验结果表明：室温常压下原始CsBr样品是具有简单立方结构的晶体，其晶格常数α＝0.428 5 nm。高压下CsBr的结构有所变化，在51.3~58.4 GPa的压力范围内，(110)线和(211)线发生劈裂，从而形成了四方相。     

高温高压下β相硼的电导率测量

 硼在高压下具有复杂的结构和多样的物理性质,对其结构和性质的深入研究具有很重要的意义,一直引起理论和实验研究领域的关注。高压下进行电学性质测量是获得物质物理性质的有效手段,利用集成在金刚石对顶砧上的微电路,在高压下和两个不同温度范围内对β相硼进行了电导率测量,分析了导电机制随压力的变化规律。在0～28.1 GPa范围内,β相硼的电导率随着压力的增大是逐渐增大的,卸压后样品的电导率不能回到最初的状态,是一个不可逆的变化过程;由室温到423 K的范围内,β硼的电导率随着温度的不断增加有明显的上升趋势,并且随着压力的升高,电导率变化逐渐加快。此外,对样品在14.5 GPa和18.6 GPa压力下,用溅射到金刚石对顶砧上的氧化铝薄膜做绝热层,对样品进行了激光加热实验,最高温度达到2 224 K,电导率随着温度的上升而增大,结果显示,β相硼的电学特征仍然属于半导体的特征范围内。     

High pressure generation in the Kawai-type multianvil apparatus equipped with sintered diamond anvils

ABSTRACT

Generation of high pressure is a key to the investigation of the interior of the Earth. The Kawai-type multianvil apparatus (KMA) has been widely used in the fields of Earth science and material science. In conventional KMA, tungsten carbide (WC) has been used as the second stage anvil material. However, attainable pressure is limited to ～70?GPa even if newly developed WC is used. Recently, on the other hand, second stage anvils of sintered diamond that is much harder than WC have enabled us to extend the pressure range of KMA up to 120?GPa, corresponding to the pressure of the D” layer in the Earth’s mantle. It is evident that our development of pressure generation facilitates the investigation of the structure and dynamics of the deep mantle of the Earth.     

126.5 GPa准静水压下的光谱学实验

 本文介绍了作者利用国内加工的金刚石压砧装置及组建的微区光谱系统进行100 GPa（百万大气压）准静水压光谱学实验的概况，证明压力产生装置和微区光谱系统的多功能性是充分可靠的。实验中遇到的压力产生能力超过压力测量能力的事实，反映了高压光谱学实验在压力范围扩大时所遇到的挑战。文中对高压下的拉曼、发射、吸收及反射光谱的实验原理和实验方法也作了概略的介绍。     

Thorium: Phase transformations and equation of state to 300 GPa

Abstract

Equation of state and phase transformations of thorium metal have been investigated to 300 GPa at 300 K in a diamond anvil cell using energy dispersive X-ray diffraction employing synchrotron source. Phase transformations in the 70–100 GPa range indicative of 5f-electron bonding are observed and thorium metal is isostructural with its 4f counterpart cerium at ultra high pressures. The measured static equation of state of thorium to 300GPa (volume fraction V/V _o = 0.40) at 300K is given. At high pressures, the sd to f electronic transfer has significant influence on the measured equation of state of thorium.