Investigation of null-matrix alloy gaskets for a diamond-anvil-cell on high pressure neutron diffraction experiments

ABSTRACT

To investigate a gasket of null-matrix alloys suitable for high pressure neutron diffraction measurements using diamond-anvil-cells (DACs), high pressure experiments were conducted with TiZr and Mn-Cu-Ni-Fe (M2052) alloys as gaskets. The M2052 gasket was retained at least up to 20 and 43 GPa using the flat surface anvils of 1.5 and 1.0 mm culet sizes, respectively, whereas the TiZr gasket was broken at a range of 15–20 GPa with a 1.5 mm culet size. Furthermore, the M2052 gasket behaved as a null-matrix alloy in high pressure neutron diffraction measurements, and we obtained a satisfactory diffraction profile with no diffraction peaks from the gasket. This finding of the M2052 gasket will lead to a more accurate structural analysis in neutron experiments using the DAC.

KEYWORDS:

• Neutron diffraction
• diamond anvil cell
• gasket material
• null-matrix alloy
• high pressure

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to Dr. T. Hattori for his assistance with the experiments and Dr. A. Nakayama and Dr. K. Funakoshi for useful advice on the DAC and gaskets. The experiments were performed using a laser-cutting machine at the CROSS user laboratory B401. Neutron diffraction experiments were performed under the MLF proposals (Nos. 2020B0444, 2021C0009, and 2022C0002).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by the [Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS KAKENHI)] under Grant [numbers JP16K17547, JP18K05284, JP20K05425, and JP21H00030].