Spherical anvils
Precision diamond anvils for high pressure research and specialised scientific applications.
The use of spherical-anvils in diamond anvil cells (DAC) provides a number of advantages, which are unavailable with any of the hitherto known anvil designs. Our spherical anvils have a great potential for applications in different spectroscopies, including Raman, IR and Brillouin.
The advantages are as following:
- Enlargement of ~2.4X of the image in a diamond anvil cell
- Improvement of resolution, as a spherical anvil works as a solid immersion lens
- The image is free of not only spherical aberration, but also from coma and astigmatism in a zone around the surface centre, making the alignment procedure easier
- Pressure measurement improved precision on a Raman signal from the centre of the culet of the diamond anvil
- In situ single crystal XRD experiments with laser heating can be realised with stationary laser-heating setups
- The angle of incidence of the incoming laser beam remains normal to this surface and focused on the sample, while the DAC is rotated during the XRD data collection
- The object observed through the anvil does coincidence with the object’s physical position along the optical axis, making the optical and X-ray aligment more simple and accurate. No refraction correction is needed once the sample is aligned to the optical focal point.
Spherical anvil specifications/options
- Material: optical quality, free of inclusions
- Spherical part (S): polished optical quality, radius possible from 1 to 2,5mm
- Top part: polished 8 or 16 facets or grinded
- Conical part (CP): lasercut or grinded
- Girdle (G): lasercut
Frequently Asked Questions
What are diamond anvils used for?
Diamond anvils are used in diamond anvil cells to generate extremely high pressures for scientific research. Their hardness, optical transparency and chemical resistance allow researchers to study materials under extreme pressure and temperature conditions.
Does Dutch Diamond Group manufacture custom diamond anvils?
Yes. Dutch Diamond Group develops and manufactures diamond anvils according to customer specific requirements. Geometry, culet dimensions, surface finish and optical properties can be adapted to the intended experiment and diamond anvil cell.
What is a spherical diamond anvil?
A spherical diamond anvil has a precisely polished spherical optical surface. This geometry can improve optical access to the sample and can function as a solid immersion lens, providing magnification and improved resolution.
What is a DART diamond anvil?
DART stands for Diamond Anvil with a Round Table. This spherical anvil design was developed for high pressure experiments requiring improved optical access, easier alignment and accurate observation of the sample.
Which research methods can use spherical diamond anvils?
Spherical diamond anvils are suitable for Raman, IR and Brillouin spectroscopy, X ray diffraction, laser heating experiments and other in situ high pressure measurements.
Can the culet and geometry be customised?
Yes. Dutch Diamond Group can manufacture customer specific culet sizes, spherical radii, faceted geometries and other precision features according to the requirements of the application.
Which diamond quality is required?
The appropriate diamond quality depends on the measurement method, pressure range and optical requirements. For spectroscopic applications, optical quality, fluorescence and birefringence may be important selection criteria.
How can I request a custom diamond anvil?
Send us the required geometry, culet dimensions, pressure range, measurement method and available drawing. Our diamond specialists will evaluate the requirements and discuss the most suitable solution.
