A rapid compression large-volume press with a high pressure jump above 10 GPa within milliseconds

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• High-Pressure Physics
• Chemistry

Background:

• High-pressure jumps are crucial for discovering new materials and understanding their properties.
• Existing methods using Bridgman-type anvils have limitations in achieving rapid, significant pressure increases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and demonstrate a novel rapid-compression large volume press capable of high-pressure jumps.
• To investigate the effects of rapid compression on material phase transitions.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a Walker-type module and hydraulic accumulators for rapid compression.
• Achieved pressure increases from 1-5 GPa to 12-16 GPa at rates from 10-2 to 633.5 GPa/s.
• Verified pressure jump effects through the semiconductor-to-metal transition of ZnTe.

Main Results:

• A unique rapid-compression press achieved a pressure jump exceeding 10 GPa within 20 milliseconds.
• The highest recorded pressure jump was 10.2 GPa in 16.1 ms, surpassing previous records.
• Rapid compression significantly enhanced the phase transformation of C70 fullerene compared to static methods.

Conclusions:

• The developed high-pressure jump technique offers a powerful tool for materials science research.
• This method facilitates the study of novel matter and phase transitions under extreme conditions.
• Potential applications span materials science, physics, chemistry, and earth science.