A new cell for X-ray absorption spectroscopy study under high pressure

X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy is a powerful technique for the investigation of the local environment around selected atoms in condensed matter. XAFS under pressure is an important method for the synchrotron source. We design a cell for a high pressure XAFS experiment. Sintered boron carbide is used as the anvils of this high pressure cell in order to obtain a full XAFS spectrum free from diffraction peaks. In addition, a hydraulic pump was adopted to make in-suit pressure modulation. High quality XAFS spectra of ZrH2 under high pressure (up to 13 Gpa) were obtained by this cell.