Award Abstract #0079513
Development of Inelastic X-Ray Scattering Instrumentation for High Pressure Research at Advanced Photon Source

NSF Org:	DMR Division of Materials Research
Initial Amendment Date:	July 24, 2000
Latest Amendment Date:	July 24, 2000
Award Number:	0079513
Award Instrument:	Standard Grant
Program Manager:	Guebre X. Tessema DMR Division of Materials Research MPS Directorate for Mathematical & Physical Sciences
Start Date:	August 1, 2000
Expires:	July 31, 2003 (Estimated)
Awarded Amount to Date:	$497300
Investigator(s):	Ho-kwang Mao mao@gl.ciw.edu (Principal Investigator) Russell Hemley (Co-Principal Investigator) Chi-Chang Kao (Co-Principal Investigator)
Sponsor:	Carnegie Institution of Washington 1530 P ST NW WASHINGTON, DC 20005 202/387-6400
NSF Program(s):	MAJOR RESEARCH INSTRUMENTATION
Field Application(s):	0106000 Materials Research
Program Reference Code(s):	AMPP, 9161
Program Element Code(s):	1189

ABSTRACT

0079513

Mao

With its myriad recent advances, high-pressure research is emerging as a new dimension in physical science. Inelastic x-ray scattering (IXS) can provide high-pressure research with an arsenal of analytical capabilities for key measurements that were previously unattainable, and high pressure research can provide IXS with numerous applications where the technique has unique advantages over other methods. The integration requires a concerted effort in optimizing IXS instrumentation specifically for high-pressure experimentation at the third-generation synchrotron source. A facility will be developed for high-pressure investigations using non-resonant IXS, resonant IXS, nuclear resonant IXS, and x-ray emission spectroscopies with energy resolutions of 100 meV to 1 eV for the study of electronic transitions, and 1 to 10 meV for phonon studies. The impact of the facility will be truly multidisciplinary. By pressure-tuning materials over a wide range, it will be possible to investigate fundamental physics of the electron gas, strongly correlated electron systems, high-energy electronic excitations, and phonons in energy and momentum space. The results will impact materials applications as well as provide basic information for the deep interiors of the Earth and other planets.

With its myriad recent advances, high-pressure research is emerging as a new dimension in physical science. The award will allow scientists to harness the enormous x-ray power of the newly established Advanced Photon Source at Argonne, IL for probing materials at high pressures. Inelastic x-ray scattering (IXS) instrumentation will be developed to provide high-pressure research with an arsenal of key analytical capabilities that were previously unattainable, and will help the U. S. to regain leadership at this frontier. Impact of the facility will be truly multidisciplinary. Extreme pressures impart drastic changes to all materials, some of which may have important technological applications, and some may reveal novel scientific principles. For instance, the highest temperature superconductor and the strongest superhard material are both synthesized at high pressures. The high-pressure IXS instrument will enable to "see" the structure of electrons and vibration of atoms and understand the fundamental physics under the extreme conditions. Such investigations will also provide basic information for the deep interiors of the Earth and astronomical bodies in which the constituent materials are under tremendous compressions.

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