Laser-heated diamond cell methods

To be referred to next is the most modem diamond anvU type, generating pressures of order of 10 -100 GPa. The cell illustrated in Figure 6(e) consists of two gem diamonds with optically flat surfaces, between which a sample confined in a drilled hole of a thin metal gasket is sandwiched. To attain isostatic compression an inert gas or an organic liquid, like a 4 1 volume mixture of methanol and ethanol, is contained with the sample. The generated pressure is measured directly from the pressure shift of the fluorescence line of mby powder mixed with the sample. Temperatures to 5000 K can be obtained by laser heating. The quantity of sample confined in a typically 0.1-mm-wide hole is extremely small, just a few microcrystals. At present, research has focused on in situ observations using X-ray and other optical methods, rather... 

For diamond anvil cells, heating comes in two distinctive forms, resistive and laser, with the former being more convenient although the upper temperature is considerably less than that obtainable with lasers. Both techniques were pioneered by W.A. Bassett and his coworkers [196, 197]. Two recent reviews [198, 199] provide an excellent introduction to HP-HT methods. 

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