What is a Diamond Anvil Cell?
The diamond anvil cell is a machine used by physicists to put samples under extremely high pressures (up to ~360 gigapascals) for the purpose of researching their properties, including phase transitions, atomic bonding, viscosity and diffraction levels, and crystallographic structure. Diamond anvil cells can simulate pressures of millions of atmospheres, recreating conditions similar to those at the center of the Earth or inside the gas giants. They are among the only laboratory apparatus capable of creating forms of degenerate matter like metallic hydrogen. Diamond anvil cells work on a simple principle — by exerting a large amount of force on a small amount of area, tremendous net pressure may be obtained. The diamond anvil, successor to anvils made of carbon-tungsten alloy, was invented by researchers Weir, Lippincott, Van Valkenburg, and Bunting in the late 1950s as part of their work at the National Bureau of Standards (NBS). In addition to being the hardest material available at
