A Comprehensive Review of High-Pressure Laser-Induced Materials Processing, Part I: Laser-Heated Diamond Anvil Cells

Abstract

Laser-heated diamond anvil cell (LH-DAC) experimentation has emerged as a leading technique for materials processing at extreme pressures and temperatures. LH-DAC systems are often employed to better characterise the structure and properties of materials in applications ranging from condensed matter physics to geophysical research to planetary science. This article reviews LH-DAC and related laser-based characterisation, as the first part of a series within the broader context of all high-pressure laser-induced material processing. In part I of this review, a synopsis of laser-heated diamond anvil cell experimental methods, developmental history, fundamental physicochemical processes, and emerging research trends are provided. Important examples of minerals/materials modified during LH-DAC investigations (since their inception) are also tabulated, including key phase transformations, material syntheses, laser parameters, and process conditions—as a reference for the reader and as a guide for directing future research efforts. Note that laser-dynamic-compression within diamond anvil cells (LDC-DAC experimentation) and laser-induced reactive chemical synthesis within diamond anvil cells (LRS-DAC experimentation) are treated separately, as Parts II and III of this review.

Combining ab‐initio and machine learning techniques for theoretical simulations of hard nitrides at extreme conditions

“…Single stage DACs can reach pressures of over 300 GPa, although going to pressures above 100 GPa risks damaging the anvils. The diamonds transparency allows for the sample between the tips to be laser-heated, allowing the sample to reach staggering temperatures in addition to the extreme pressures [79].…”

In Situ X-ray Diffraction as a Basic Tool to Study Oxide and Metal Oxide Catalysts

“…The main difficulties arise when extreme conditions are required: very high (>1300 K) or very low (<4 K) temperature, high pressure (>10 bar), corrosive environment (acidic or alkaline), and a combination of these. For example, the use of diamond anvil cells (DACs are devices that can achieve ~1 GPa pressure and 1300 K temperature in common cases and up to several thousand degrees temperature and up to ~1 TPa pressure when using laser-driven dynamic-compression diamond anvil cells [50]) requires hard and focused X-rays due to the very small experimental volume (down to tens of microns) and requirements to penetrate materials of the cell, as well as limited achievable scattering angles.…”

A Comprehensive Review of High-Pressure Laser-Induced Materials Processing, Part II: Laser-Driven Dynamic Compression within Diamond Anvil Cells

“…From Equations ( 6) and (7), one can see that the shockwave velocity (v sw ) is a crucial parameter in the Rankine-Hugoniot relations, and it is used to derive final state data (e.g., ρ, P, T) [24,26,32,49]. v sw can be measured using a VISAR or ORVIS system (as described above) [59], or through measurements of the Raman intensity emitted from a laser-illuminated sample over time.…”

“…An apparatus that focuses a laser beam between diamond anvils to heat, shock, or induce chemical reactions within a sample, is known as a laser diamond anvil cell (L-DAC) [7]. L-DAC systems have opened a door to entirely new research fields, such as the measurement of material properties at high pressures and high temperatures (HPHT) [8][9][10][11][12][13][14] or the study of extremophile biological organisms at pressures similar to those extant at hydrothermal vents [3,15].…”

“…The three parts of this review are based on the primary modes of material modification presented in Figure 1A,B. Part I of this series summarises the more common laser-heated diamond anvil cell (LH-DAC) mode of experimentation (71% of papers) [7]. This paper (Part II) focuses on dynamic material compression within DACs using intense pulsed lasers, rather than laser heating samples.…”