Single Crystal X-ray Diffraction in Laser Heated DACs

Until recently, all DAC laser-heating systems were stationary and could not be used for single-crystal structural studies aimed not only at determining lattice parameters, but also at structural refinements, which require measuring X-ray diffraction intensities and at least partial rotation of the DAC during experiments with monochromatic radiation. The beam of a stationary laser enters the cell at a fixed angle, so that the rotation leads to departure of the crystal from the focus position and scattering the powerful laser light in arbitrary directions by the diamond anvils that might be dangerous.
In order to overcome this problem we have developed a portable laser heating system and diamond anvils with round tables (DARTs) and implemented them in our experiments at verious diffraction beamlines (ID15 and ID27 at ESRF, and P02 at PETRA III). The performance and potential of this approach have been demonstrated in simultaneous high-pressure and high-temperature powder and single-crystal diffraction studies of chemical and phase relations in transition metals oxides, carbides, hydrides, carbonates, and silicate perovskites.