Diamond anvil cells

Diamond anvil cells allow for an experimental study of materials of the Earth mantle and code. The sample is pressed between two diamond anvils with their tips polished to 10 to 700 μm in diameter. The sample properties are then studied using diffraction or spectroscopy. The lab has several diamond anvil cells of various types that allow experiments at pressures over 2 mégabars.

For temperatures below 1500 K, the sample can be heated using a graphite heater inside the diamond anvil cell. Samples can also be heated to 1000's of K using 10 to 100 W infrared lasers. Laser-heating allows reaching conditions of the interior of the Earth and other planets, activate phase transformations with slow kinetics, and relax stresses induced by cold-compression.

We do not have any laser-heating system onside but rely on community facilities at other laboratories and synchrotron sources such as ESRF, SOLEIL, or PETRA III.

Diamonds in a diamond anvil cell. The sample is placed inside a hole drilled in a gasket, located between the two diamond anvils.

Samples inside a diamond anvil cell — Sample chamber in a diamond anvil cell. One can see a titanium sample, a piece of gold pressure standard, and a ruby ball for quick pressure estimates. The picture is taken by looking through the diamonds with a binocular.

A diamond anvil cell ready for sample characterization at the synchrotron.