Imagine we could explore an enormous pressure (P) and temperature (T) field equivalent to the conditions spreading the entire Earth from the surface to its very center. In this field, countless new materials, properties, and phenomena would be discovered, our accessible materials base would be doubled or tripled, and many of the novel discoveries could be recovered to ambient conditions for practical use and the benefit of mankind. This vision could be realized if we had the proper exploration tool; the proposed portable system for creating the extreme P-T conditions and conducting in-situ investigation would make a key advancement toward this goal.
We propose to acquire a portable system that combines both a heating laser and versatile probes. The design of the system takes advantage of recent breakthroughs in fiber laser and detector technology. Its highly portable head is no bigger than a handheld flashlight, yet so powerful that it can heat samples in a high-pressure vessel beyond the temperatures on the surface of the Sun, and detect a complete set of optical spectra. Portability is essential for bringing the extreme P-T samples for in-depth investigations at the nation?s most powerful synchrotron, neutron, spectroscopic and electromagnetic facilities. Development of the proposed system will impact our fundamental knowledge of physics and chemistry of matter, will unravel the deep secrets in Earth and planetary interiors, and will contribute to our quest for novel technological materials.
This proposal seeks funds to acquire and develop a portable extreme temperature (T)-pressure (P) system for a broad range of materials studies to 10,000 K and several hundreds of GPa. The essential features are portability, a broad temperature range, and a modular design consisting of two fiber lasers and various probes and detectors. This instrument will be used for in-situ high T-P Raman spectroscopy, conventional and synchrotron IR spectroscopy, Brillouin spectroscopy, neutron diffraction, axial and radial x-ray diffraction, x-ray absorption spectroscopy, x-ray Raman spectroscopy, and inelastic x-ray scattering spectroscopy. The system will provide stable laser heating on a sample area greater than 30 µm in diameter, and will have reliable temperature measurement from 500-10,000 K, along with the advantages of portability, flexibility, self-sufficient control, and built-in safety features. The integrated instrument contains a microscope head, fiber lasers, IR and UV spectral radiograph modules, IR and visible CCD cameras, and a control system. The coupling of high T-P capabilities with numerous analytical probes will allow a wide variety of chemical and physical phenomena to be discovered and explored with greatly improved resolution. As a consequence, this new instrument will illuminate new and existing areas of research in physics, chemistry, materials science, geoscience, planetary science, and biology. The proposed system will also contribute significantly to infrastructure development by enhancing capabilities at synchrotron radiation and other major national facilities with new experimental techniques for the broader community and the training of new scientists at these facilities.
