This research was funded by the International Research Training Group (IRTG) &#8220;Diffusion in porous Materials&#8221;. We acknowledge the technical support from Gert Klotzsche and stimulating discussions with Steven Reichhardt, Thomas Meissner, Damian Rybicki, Tobias Herzig, Natalya Georgieva, Jonas Kohlrautz, and Michael Jurkutat.

1. Mounting and Aligning of the 6H-SiC Large Cone Boehler-type Anvils
<ol>
	<li>Fix the piston and x-y plate in the mounting tools and insert the Boehler-type anvils in the seating area.</li>
	<li>Make sure each anvil sits firmly in the backing plates.</li>
	<li>Using epoxy resin, (e.g., Stycast 1266), glue both anvils to their seats. Cure for 12 h at RT, or 65 &#186;C in a furnace for 2 hr.</li>
	<li>For a sufficient anvil alignment, use the M1 set-screws to align the backing plates and monitor the parallelism of both anvils. If the anvils were found to be non-parallel, remove the epoxy resin and restart at point 1.2.</li>
</ol>
2. Gasket Preparation
<ol>
	<li>Drill 1 mm holes into a chip of annealed Cu-Be (Cu 98 w%, Be 2 wt%, thickness of 0.5 mm) for the brass guide pins.</li>
	<li>Insert three 5 mm long pieces of 1 mm diameter non-insulated copper wire into the holes, which are distributed along the anvil, to serve as guide pins for the Cu-Be gasket.</li>
	<li>Check for proper grounding between the guide pins and the cell body. Typically, a DC resistance of about 0.1 &#937; is desired. Improve with an application of a small amount of conductive silver.</li>
	<li>Place the Cu-Be chip on top of the moissanite anvil and close the cell.</li>
	<li>Using a hydraulic press, pressurize the gasket to about 1/8th of the culet diameter for maximized working stability. Monitor the actual thickness of the indentation using a micrometer caliper.</li>
	<li>Drill a hole of the appropriate diameter (&#189; of the culet diameter) in the center of the indentation.</li>
	<li>Carve two channels into the pre-indented gasket. The channels should be deep enough to accommodate the 18 &#181;m copper wire of the micro-coil.</li>
	<li>Harden the prepared gasket at 617 K for 2 to 3 hr in a furnace.</li>
</ol>
3. Preparing and Loading of the Micro-coil
<ol>
	<li>Use a piece of 1 mm copper wire and thread it through the feed-through of the piston. Fix the copper wire with epoxy resin and cure it according to step 1.3.</li>
	<li>Choose an awl (see list of materials) which has the desired diameter for the micro-coil and fix it between a pair of rotatable chuck-jaws.</li>
	<li>Glue (with e.g., varnish from SCB, see list of materials) one end of the 18 &#181;m copper wire onto the chuck jaws, while holding the other end and rotate the chuck jaw so that the wire is coiled onto the awl.</li>
	<li>When the micro-coil is of the desired geometry, fix the other end of the wire onto the glue as well.</li>
	<li>Use diluted varnish to fix the coil by applying a small amount on top of the windings.</li>
	<li>Remove the coil carefully from the awl using Teflon tape.</li>
	<li>Place some epoxy resin (see point 1.3), without any additives, in the channels of the gasket.</li>
	<li>Place the micro-coil inside the sample chamber and fix the leads into the channels.</li>
	<li>Cure the epoxy resin according to step 1.3.</li>
	<li>Solder one lead of the micro-coil to the hot wire and the other to a guide pin.</li>
	<li>Add some silver conductive paste on top of each junction. Curing typically takes some minutes.</li>
	<li>Seal both junctions with a small amount of epoxy resin.</li>
	<li>Cure the epoxy according to step 1.3.</li>
	<li>Now, check the DC resistance of the coil after every step.</li>
	<li>Place the sample in the micro-coil. Be aware that any unnecessary physical contact may destroy the coil.</li>
	<li>Add finely ground ruby powder to the sample for pressure calibration.</li>
	<li>Finally, flood the sample chamber with an appropriate pressure medium. Use paraffin oil to ensure nearly-hydrostatic conditions up to 9 GPa.</li>
	<li>Close the cell carefully.</li>
</ol>
4. Applying and Monitoring Pressure
<ol>
	<li>At first, slightly tighten the M3 Allen countersunk screws.</li>
	<li>For pressurization fix the cell in a vise. Now, tighten two opposing screws pairwise.</li>
	<li>Place the pressurized cell in an appropriate cell holder.</li>
	<li>Adjust the position of the cell so that the laser beam reaches the sample chamber.</li>
	<li>Use the fine-adjustment table to focus the ruby powder in the laser beam.</li>
	<li>Monitor the ruby photoluminescence spectrum using the corresponding spectrometer software.</li>
	<li>Extract the actual pressure in the sample cavity from the observed spectral shift of the ruby R1 and R2 lines.</li>
	<li>Equilibrate the pressurized cell for at least 12 hr before NMR measurements are started.</li>
</ol>
5. Performing NMR Experiments
<ol>
	<li>Mount the pressure cell onto a typical NMR probe. Manufacture appropriate cell holders in a mechanical workshop.</li>
	<li>Solder the hot wire to the probe. Check for proper electrical contact between the cell and the probe.</li>
	<li>Now, perform standard NMR experiments. Draw attention to the fact that the micro-coil is very sensitive to the applied radio-frequency power.</li>
</ol>

<ol>
	<li>Hemley, R. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Percy+Bridgman&#180;s+Second+Century.">Percy Bridgman&#180;s Second Century.</a> High Pressure Research. 30 (4), 581-619 (2010).</li><li>Grochala, W., Hoffmann, R., Feng, J., Ashcroft, N. W. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+Chemical+imagination+at+work+in+very+tight+places.">The Chemical imagination at work in very tight places.</a> Angewandte Chemie (International Edition in English). 46 (20), 3620-3642 (2007).</li><li>Ma, Y., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Transparent+dense+sodium.">Transparent dense sodium.</a> Nature. 458 (7235), 182-185 (2009).</li><li>Eremets, M. I., Troyan, I. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Conductive+dense+hydrogen.">Conductive dense hydrogen.</a> Nat Mater. 10 (12), 927-931 (2011).</li><li>Jayaraman, A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Diamond+anvil+cell+and+high-pressure+physical+investigations.">Diamond anvil cell and high-pressure physical investigations.</a> Rev Mod Phys. 55 (1), 65-108 (1983).</li><li>Bertani, R., Mali, M., Roos, J., Brinkmann, D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+diamond+anvil+cell+for+high-pressure+NMR+investigations.">A diamond anvil cell for high-pressure NMR investigations.</a> Rev Sci Instrum. 63 (6), 3303 (1992).</li><li>Lee, S. -. H., Luszczynski, K., Norberg, R. E., Conradi, M. S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=NMR+in+a+diamond+anvil+cell.">NMR in a diamond anvil cell.</a> Rev Sci Instrum. 58 (3), 415 (1987).</li><li>Lee, S. -. H., Conradi, M. S., Norberg, R. E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Improved+NMR+resonator+for+diamond+anvil+cells.">Improved NMR resonator for diamond anvil cells.</a> Rev Sci Instrum. 63 (7), 3674 (1992).</li><li>Pravica, M. G., Silvera, I. F. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Nuclear+magnetic+resonance+in+a+diamond+anvil+cell+at+very+high+pressures.">Nuclear magnetic resonance in a diamond anvil cell at very high pressures.</a> Rev Sci Instrum. 69 (2), 479 (1998).</li><li>Lee, S. -. H., Conradi, M., Norberg, R. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Molecular+motion+in+solid+H2+at+high+pressures.">Molecular motion in solid H2 at high pressures.</a> Phys Rev B. 40 (18), 12492-12498 (1989).</li><li>Vaughan, R. W. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=An+Apparatus+for+Magnetic+Measurements+at+High+Pressure.">An Apparatus for Magnetic Measurements at High Pressure.</a> Rev Sci Instrum. 42 (5), 626 (1971).</li><li>Yarger, J. L., Nieman, R. A., Wolf, G. H., Marzke, R. F. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=High-Pressure+1H+and+13C+Nuclear+Magnetic+Resonance+in+a+Diamond+Anvil+Cell.">High-Pressure 1H and 13C Nuclear Magnetic Resonance in a Diamond Anvil Cell.</a> Journal of Magnetic Resonance Series A. 114 (2), 255-257 (1995).</li><li>Okuchi, T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+new+type+of+nonmagnetic+diamond+anvil+cell+for+nuclear+magnetic+resonance+spectroscopy.">A new type of nonmagnetic diamond anvil cell for nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.</a> Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors. , 143-144 (2004).</li><li>Kluthe, S., Markendorf, R., Mali, M., Roos, J., Brinkmann, D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Pressure-dependent+Knight+shift+in+Na+and+Cs+metal.">Pressure-dependent Knight shift in Na and Cs metal.</a> Phys Rev B. 53 (17), 11369-11375 (1996).</li><li>Graf, D. E., Stillwell, R. L., Purcell, K. M., Tozer, S. W. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Nonmetallic+gasket+and+miniature+plastic+turnbuckle+diamond+anvil+cell+for+pulsed+magnetic+field+studies+at+cryogenic+temperatures.">Nonmetallic gasket and miniature plastic turnbuckle diamond anvil cell for pulsed magnetic field studies at cryogenic temperatures.</a> High Pressure Research. 31 (4), 533-543 (2011).</li><li>Pravica, M., Silvera, I. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=NMR+Study+of+Ortho-Para+Conversion+at+High+Pressure+in+Hydrogen.">NMR Study of Ortho-Para Conversion at High Pressure in Hydrogen.</a> Physical Review Letters. 81 (19), 4180-4183 (1998).</li><li>Haase, J., Goh, S. K., Meissner, T., Alireza, P. L., Rybicki, D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=High+sensitivity+nuclear+magnetic+resonance+probe+for+anvil+cell+pressure+experiments.">High sensitivity nuclear magnetic resonance probe for anvil cell pressure experiments.</a> Rev Sci Instrum. 80 (7), 73905 (2009).</li><li>Meissner, T., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=New+Approach+to+High-Pressure+Nuclear+Magnetic+Resonance+with+Anvil+Cells.">New Approach to High-Pressure Nuclear Magnetic Resonance with Anvil Cells.</a> J Low Temp Phys. 159 (1-2), 284-287 (2010).</li><li>Meier, T., Herzig, T., Haase, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Moissanite+Anvil+Cell+Design+for+Giga-Pascal+Nuclear+Magnetic+Resonance.">Moissanite Anvil Cell Design for Giga-Pascal Nuclear Magnetic Resonance.</a> Rev Sci Instrum. 85 (4), 43903 (2014).</li><li>Boyer, R. F., Collings, E. W. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=.">.</a> Materials Properties Handbook: Titanium Alloys. , (1994).</li><li>Xu, J. -. a., Yen, J., Wang, Y., Huang, E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Ultrahigh+pressures+in+gem+anvil+cells.">Ultrahigh pressures in gem anvil cells.</a> High Pressure Research. 15 (2), 127-134 (1996).</li><li>Xu, J. -. a., Mao, H. -. k., Hemley, R. J., Hines, E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+moissanite+anvil+cell+a+new+tool+for+high-pressure+research.">The moissanite anvil cell a new tool for high-pressure research.</a> J Phys Condens Matter. 14 (44), 11543-11548 (2002).</li><li>Xu, J. -. a., Mao, H. -. k., Hemley, R. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+gem+anvil+cell+high-pressure+behaviour+of+diamond+and+related+materials.">The gem anvil cell high-pressure behaviour of diamond and related materials.</a> J Phys Condens Matter. 14 (44), 11549-11552 (2002).</li><li>Meissner, T., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Nuclear+magnetic+resonance+at+up+to+10.1+GPa+pressure+detects+an+electronic+topological+transition+in+aluminum+metal.">Nuclear magnetic resonance at up to 10.1 GPa pressure detects an electronic topological transition in aluminum metal.</a> J Phys Condens Matter. 26 (1), 15501 (2014).</li><li>Meissner, T., Goh, S. K., Haase, J., Williams, G. r. a. n. t. . V. M., Littlewood, P. B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=High-pressure+spin+shifts+in+the+pseudogap+regime+of+superconducting+YBa2Cu4O8+as+revealed+by+17O+NMR.">High-pressure spin shifts in the pseudogap regime of superconducting YBa2Cu4O8 as revealed by 17O NMR.</a> Phys Rev B. 83 (22), (2011).</li><li>Goh, S. K., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=High+pressure+de+Haas&#8211;van+Alphen+studies+of+Sr2RuO4+using+an+anvil+cell.">High pressure de Haas&#8211;van Alphen studies of Sr2RuO4 using an anvil cell.</a> Current Applied Physics. 8 (3-4), 304-307 (2008).</li><li>Tateiwa, N., Haga, Y. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Evaluations+of+pressure-transmitting+media+for+cryogenic+experiments+with+diamond+anvil+cell.">Evaluations of pressure-transmitting media for cryogenic experiments with diamond anvil cell.</a> Rev Sci Instrum. 80 (12), 123901 (2009).</li><li>Hahn, E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Spin+Echoes.">Spin Echoes.</a> Phys Rev. 80 (4), 580-594 (1950).</li><li>Boehler, R., Ross, M., Boercker, D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Melting+of+LiF+and+NaCl+to+1+Mbar+Systematics+of+Ionic+Solids+at+Extreme+Conditions.">Melting of LiF and NaCl to 1 Mbar Systematics of Ionic Solids at Extreme Conditions.</a> Physical Review Letters. 78 (24), 4589-4592 (1997).</li><li>Funamori, N., Sato, T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+cubic+boron+nitride+gasket+for+diamond-anvil+experiments.">A cubic boron nitride gasket for diamond-anvil experiments.</a> Rev Sci Instr. 79 (5), 053903 (2008).</li><li>Forman, R. 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The authors have nothing to disclose.

A new and promising method to perform NMR at Giga-Pascal pressures was described. This method opens up the door to a broad variety of NMR experiments due to its excellent sensitivity and resolution. Nevertheless, several steps described in the protocol section are crucial to the outcome of the experiment. Especially, the preparation of the micro-coil and its fixation in the Cu-Be gasket is very difficult and requires some experience. In the following, some important tips are given, which should help a first successful ap...

Since Percy Bridgman&#39;s hallmark experiments of condensed matter under high hydrostatic pressures at the beginning of the last century, the field of high pressure physics has evolved rapidly1. A large number of intriguing phenomena are known to occur under pressures of several GPa2. In addition, the response of condensed matter systems to high pressure has taught us a lot about their electronic ground and excited states3,4.
Unfortunately, techniques for the investigation of the electronic properties of condensed matter at Giga-Pascal pressures are rare, with x-ray or DC resistance measurements leading the way5. In particular, the detection of electronic or nuclear magnetic moments with electron spin (ESR) or nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments, is bound to be almost impossible to implement in a typical high-pressure anvil cells where one needs to retrieve the signal from a tiny volume enshrined by anvils and a sealing gasket.
Several groups have tried to solve this problem by using complex arrangements, e.g., two split-pair radio-frequency (RF) coils wound along the flanks of the anvils6; a single or double loop hair-pin resonator7,8; or even a split rhenium gasket as a RF pick-up coil9, see Figure 1. Unfortunately, those approaches still suffered from a low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), limiting the experimental applications to large-&#947; nuclei such as 1H10. The interested reader may be referred to other high-pressure resonant tank circuit experiments11&#8211;15. Pravica and Silvera16 report the highest pressure achieved in an anvil cell for NMR with 12.8 GPa, who studied the ortho-para conversion of hydrogen.
With great interest in applying NMR to study the properties of quantum solids, our group was interested in having NMR available at high pressures, as well. Finally, in 2009 it could be demonstrated that high-sensitivity anvil cell NMR is indeed possible if a resonating radio-frequency (RF) micro-coil is placed directly in the high-pressure cavity enclosing the sample17. In such an approach, the NMR sensitivity is improved by several orders of magnitude (mostly due to the dramatic increase in filling factor of the RF coil), which made even more challenging NMR experiments possible, e.g.,17O NMR on powder samples of a high-temperature superconductor at up to 7 GPa18. Superconductivity in these materials can be greatly amplified by the application of pressure, and it is now possible to follow this process with a local electronic probe that promises fundamental insight into the governing processes. Another example for the power of NMR under high pressure emerged from what were believed to be routine referencing experiments: in order to test the introduced new anvil cell NMR, one of the best known materials was measured &#8211; simple aluminum metal. As the pressure was increased, an unexpected deviation of the NMR shift from what one would expect for a free-electron system was found. Repeated experiments, also under increased pressures, showed that the new results were indeed reliable. Finally, with band structure calculations it was then found that the results are the manifestation of a topological transition of the Fermi surface of aluminum, which could not be detected by calculations years ago, when the computing power was low. Extrapolation of the findings to ambient conditions showed that the properties of this metal that is used almost everywhere are influenced by this special electronic condition.
In order to pursue a number of different applications specially designed anvil cells (previous cells had been imported from the Cavendish Laboratory and retrofitted for NMR) have been developed. Currently, the used home-built chassis are capable of reaching pressures up to 25 GPa using a pair of 800 &#181;m culet 6H-SiC anvils. NMR experiments were successfully conducted up to 10.1 GPa, so far. The NMR performance of this new cells was shown to be excellent19. The main component is Titanium-Aluminum(6)-Vanadium(4) with an extra low interstitial level (grade 23), providing a yield strength of about 800 MPa20. Due to its non-magnetic properties (the magnetic susceptibility &#967; is about 5 ppm) it is an adequate material for the anvil cell chassis. The overall dimensions of the introduced cells (see Figure 2 for an overview of all home-built anvil cell designs) are small enough to fit into regular standard bore NMR magnets. The smallest design, the LAC-TM1, which is only 20 mm in height and 17 mm in diameter, fits also typical small, cold-bore magnets (30 mm bore diameter). The LAC-TM2, which is the latest chassis the authors designed, uses four M4 Allen countersink bolts (made out of the same alloy as the cell chassis) as pressure driving mechanism, allowing for a smooth control of the internal pressure (blue prints attached in supplementary section).
Typically, diamond anvils are used in order to generate highest pressures of above 100 GPa. Xu and Mao21&#8211;23 have demonstrated that moissanite anvils provide a cost effective alternative in high-pressure research, up to pressures of about 60 GPa. Therefore, moissanite anvils were used for the introduced GPa NMR approach. The best results were achieved with customized large-cone 6H-SiC anvils from the anvil department of Charles &#38; Colvard. With those cells, for pressures up to 10.1 GPa, the use of 800 &#181;m culet anvils was found to result in very good NMR sensitivity. For comparison, Lee et al. report a SNR of 1 for 1H NMR of tap water, while the SNR of the introduced micro-coil approach showed a value of 25 for 1/7 of their volume, even at a somewhat lower magnetic field.
With this new approach to high-sensitivity anvil cell NMR one can pursue many applications that promise exciting new insight into the physics and chemistry of modern materials. However, as always, sensitivity and resolution ultimately limit the application of NMR, in particular, if one is interested in much higher pressures that demand smaller culet sizes. Then, one has not only to optimize the cell design with even smaller RF coils, but also think about methods for increasing nuclear polarization.

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="672">
	<tbody>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:243px;">Name of Material/ Equipment</td>
			<td style="width:147px;">Company</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">Catalog Number</td>
			<td style="width:164px;">Comments/Description</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:243px;">Titanium grade 23</td>
			<td style="width:147px;">robemetall GmbH</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">ASTM F 136</td>
			<td style="width:164px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:243px;">Beryllium copper foil</td>
			<td style="width:147px;">GoodFellow</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">CU070501</td>
			<td>Alloy 25 (C17200)</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:243px;">Copper wire for micro-coil</td>
			<td style="width:147px;">Polyfil</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">--</td>
			<td>quote on inquiry</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:243px;">Stycast 1266</td>
			<td style="width:147px;">Sil-Mid Ldt.</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">S1266001KG</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:243px;">Moissanite anvils</td>
			<td style="width:147px;">Charles &#38; Colvard</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">--</td>
			<td>quote on inquiry</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:243px;">Paraffin oil (pressure medium)</td>
			<td style="width:147px;">Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">18512-1L</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:243px;">M4 Allen contersunk screws (Ti64)</td>
			<td style="width:147px;">Der Schraubenladen</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">DIN912 M4x20</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:243px;">Optiprexx PLS</td>
			<td style="width:147px;">Almax-easylab</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">--</td>
			<td>quote on inquiry</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:243px;">Ruby spheres (~10-50 &#181;m)</td>
			<td style="width:147px;">DiamondAnvils.com</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">P00996</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
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			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:243px;">Manual Toggle Press</td>
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high-sensitivity nuclear magnetic resonance at giga-pascal pressures: a new tool for probing electronic and chemical properties of condensed matter under extreme conditions

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) is one of the most important techniques for the study of condensed matter systems, their chemical structure, and their electronic properties. The application of high pressure enables one to synthesize new materials, but the response of known materials to high pressure is a very useful tool for studying their electronic structure and developing theories. For example, high-pressure synthesis might be at the origin of life; and understanding the behavior of small molecules under extreme pressure will tell us more about fundamental processes in our universe. It is no wonder that there has always been great interest in having NMR available at high pressures. Unfortunately, the desired pressures are often well into the Giga-Pascal (GPa) range and require special anvil cell devices where only very small, secluded volumes are available. This has restricted the use of NMR almost entirely in the past, and only recently, a new approach to high-sensitivity GPa NMR, which has a resonating micro-coil inside the sample chamber, was put forward. This approach enables us to achieve high sensitivity with experiments that bring the power of NMR to Giga-Pascal pressure condensed matter research. First applications, the detection of a topological electronic transition in ordinary aluminum metal and the closing of the pseudo-gap in high-temperature superconductivity, show the power of such an approach. Meanwhile, the range of achievable pressures was increased tremendously with a new generation of anvil cells (up to 10.1 GPa), that fit standard-bore NMR magnets. This approach might become a new, important tool for the investigation of many condensed matter systems, in chemistry, geochemistry, and in physics, since we can now watch structural changes with the eyes of a very versatile probe.

Figure 3 shows how the completely assembled pressure cell, the wiring, and the mounting onto a typical NMR probe look like. In the following, several experiments will be reviewed which should enable the reader to gather a broad overview about the benefits and limits of the introduced technique.
<img alt="Figure 1" src="/files/ftp_upload/52243/52243fig1highres.jpg" /> 
Figure 1.&#160;Various Approaches for high pressure NMR: (A...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about High-Sensitivity Nuclear Magnetic Resonance at Giga-Pascal Pressures: A New Tool for Probing Electronic and Chemical Properties of Condensed Matter under Extr

High-Sensitivity Nuclear Magnetic Resonance at Giga-Pascal Pressures: A New Tool for Probing Electronic and Chemical Properties of Condensed Matter under Extreme Conditions

Nuclear magnetic resonance is one of the most important spectroscopic tools. Here, the development of a new approach under high pressure, currently up to 10.1 GPa, is presented. This opens a new window into condensed matter physics and chemistry, where high-pressure research is of great importance.

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) is one of the most important techniques for the study of condensed matter systems, their chemical structure, and their ...

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11.5K Views.  University of Leipzig. Nuclear magnetic resonance is one of the most important spectroscopic tools. Here, the development of a new approach under high pressure, currently up to 10.1 GPa, is presented. This opens a new window into condensed matter physics and chemistry, where high-pressure research is of great importance.

Video: High-Sensitivity Nuclear Magnetic Resonance at Giga-Pascal Pressures: A New Tool for Probing Electronic and Chemical Properties of Condensed Matter under Extreme Conditions

Synthesis and Microdiffraction at Extreme Pressures and Temperatures

High pressure compounds and polymorphs are investigated for a broad range of purposes such as determine structures and processes of deep planetary interiors, design materials with novel properties, understand the mechanical behavior of materials exposed to very high stresses as in explosions or impacts. Synthesis and structural analysis of materials at extreme conditions of pressure and temperature entails remarkable technical challenges. In the laser heated diamond anvil cell (LH-DAC), very high pressure is generated between the tips of two opposing diamond anvils forced against each other; focused infrared laser beams, shined through the diamonds, allow to reach very high temperatures on samples absorbing the laser radiation. When the LH-DAC is installed in a synchrotron beamline that provides extremely brilliant x-ray radiation, the structure of materials under extreme conditions can be probed in situ. LH-DAC samples, although very small, can show highly variable grain size, phase and chemical composition. In order to obtain the high resolution structural analysis and the most comprehensive characterization of a sample, we collect diffraction data in 2D grids and combine powder, single crystal and multigrain diffraction techniques. Representative results obtained in the synthesis of a new iron oxide, Fe4O5 1 will be shown.

The laser heated diamond anvil cell combined with synchrotron micro-diffraction techniques allows researchers to explore the nature and properties of new phases of matter at extreme pressure and temperature (PT) conditions. Heterogeneous samples can be characterized in situ under high pressure by 2D mapping and combined powder, single-crystal and multigrain diffraction approaches.

High pressure compounds and polymorphs are investigated for a broad range of purposes such as determine structures and processes of deep planetary ...

Flame Experiments at the Advanced Light Source: New Insights into Soot Formation Processes

The following experimental protocols and the accompanying video are concerned with the flame experiments that are performed at the Chemical Dynamics Beamline of the Advanced Light Source (ALS) of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory1-4. This video demonstrates how the complex chemical structures of laboratory-based model flames are analyzed using flame-sampling mass spectrometry with tunable synchrotron-generated vacuum-ultraviolet (VUV) radiation. This experimental approach combines isomer-resolving capabilities with high sensitivity and a large dynamic range5,6. The first part of the video describes experiments involving burner-stabilized, reduced-pressure (20-80 mbar) laminar premixed flames. A small hydrocarbon fuel was used for the selected flame to demonstrate the general experimental approach. It is shown how species&#8217; profiles are acquired as a function of distance from the burner surface and how the tunability of the VUV photon energy is used advantageously to identify many combustion intermediates based on their ionization energies. For example, this technique has been used to study gas-phase aspects of the soot-formation processes, and the video shows how the resonance-stabilized radicals, such as C3H3, C3H5, and i-C4H5, are identified as important intermediates7. The work has been focused on soot formation processes, and, from the chemical point of view, this process is very intriguing because chemical structures containing millions of carbon atoms are assembled from a fuel molecule possessing only a few carbon atoms in just milliseconds. The second part of the video highlights a new experiment, in which an opposed-flow diffusion flame and synchrotron-based aerosol mass spectrometry are used to study the chemical composition of the combustion-generated soot particles4. The experimental results indicate that the widely accepted H-abstraction-C2H2-addition (HACA) mechanism is not the sole molecular growth process responsible for the formation of the observed large polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).

Gas sampling from laboratory-scale flames with online analysis of all species by mass spectrometry is a powerful method to investigate the complex mixture of chemical compounds occurring during combustion processes. Coupled with tunable soft ionization via synchrotron-generated vacuum-ultraviolet radiation, this technique provides isomer-resolved information and potentially fragment-free mass spectra.

The following experimental protocols and the accompanying video are concerned with the flame experiments that are performed at the Chemical Dynamics ...

In Situ Neutron Powder Diffraction Using Custom-made Lithium-ion Batteries

Li-ion batteries are widely used in portable electronic devices and are considered as promising candidates for higher-energy applications such as electric vehicles.1,2 However, many challenges, such as energy density and battery lifetimes, need to be overcome before this particular battery technology can be widely implemented in such applications.3 This research is challenging, and we outline a method to address these challenges using in situ NPD to probe the crystal structure of electrodes undergoing electrochemical cycling (charge/discharge) in a battery. NPD data help determine the underlying structural mechanism responsible for a range of electrode properties, and this information can direct the development of better electrodes and batteries.
We briefly review six types of battery designs custom-made for NPD experiments and detail the method to construct the &#8216;roll-over&#8217; cell that we have successfully used on the high-intensity NPD instrument, WOMBAT, at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO). The design considerations and materials used for cell construction are discussed in conjunction with aspects of the actual in situ NPD experiment and initial directions are presented on how to analyze such complex in situ data.

In Situ Neutron Powder Diffraction Using Custom-made Lithium-ion Batteries

We describe the design and construction of an electrochemical cell for the examination of electrode materials using in situ neutron powder diffraction (NPD). We briefly comment on alternate in situ NPD cell designs and discuss methods for the analysis of the corresponding in situ NPD data produced using this cell.

Li-ion batteries are widely used in portable electronic devices and are considered as promising candidates for higher-energy applications such as electric ...

Resonance Raman Spectroscopy of Extreme Nanowires and Other 1D Systems

This paper briefly describes how nanowires with diameters corresponding to 1 to 5 atoms can be produced by melting a range of inorganic solids in the presence of carbon nanotubes. These nanowires are extreme in the sense that they are the limit of miniaturization of nanowires and their behavior is not always a simple extrapolation of the behavior of larger nanowires as their diameter decreases. The paper then describes the methods required to obtain Raman spectra from extreme nanowires and the fact that due to the van Hove singularities that 1D systems exhibit in their optical density of states, that determining the correct choice of photon excitation energy is critical. It describes the techniques required to determine the photon energy dependence of the resonances observed in Raman spectroscopy of 1D systems and in particular how to obtain measurements of Raman cross-sections with better than 8% noise and measure the variation in the resonance as a function of sample temperature. The paper describes the importance of ensuring that the Raman scattering is linearly proportional to the intensity of the laser excitation intensity. It also describes how to use the polarization dependence of the Raman scattering to separate Raman scattering of the encapsulated 1D systems from those of other extraneous components in any sample.

The paper describes a method for producing extreme nanowires by melt infiltration into carbon nanotubes and how 1D systems may be characterized and investigated using Resonance Raman Spectroscopy to determine vibrational and optical excitation energies.

This paper briefly describes how nanowires with diameters corresponding to 1 to 5 atoms can be produced by melting a range of inorganic solids in the ...

Use of a Multi-compartment Dynamic Single Enzyme Phantom for Studies of Hyperpolarized Magnetic Resonance Agents

Imaging of hyperpolarized substrates by magnetic resonance shows great clinical promise for assessment of critical biochemical processes in real time. Due to fundamental constraints imposed by the hyperpolarized state, exotic imaging and reconstruction techniques are commonly used. A practical system for characterization of dynamic, multi-spectral imaging methods is critically needed. Such a system must reproducibly recapitulate the relevant chemical dynamics of normal and pathological tissues. The most widely utilized substrate to date is hyperpolarized [1-13C]-pyruvate for assessment of cancer metabolism. We describe an enzyme-based phantom system that mediates the conversion of pyruvate to lactate. The reaction is initiated by injection of the hyperpolarized agent into multiple chambers within the phantom, each of which contains varying concentrations of reagents that control the reaction rate. Multiple compartments are necessary to ensure that imaging sequences faithfully capture the spatial and metabolic heterogeneity of tissue. This system will aid the development and validation of advanced imaging strategies by providing chemical dynamics that are not available from conventional phantoms, as well as control and reproducibility that is not possible in vivo.

A multi-compartment dynamic phantom is used to simulate some biology of interest for metabolic studies using hyperpolarized magnet resonance agents.

Imaging of hyperpolarized substrates by magnetic resonance shows great clinical promise for assessment of critical biochemical processes in real time. Due ...

In Situ Visualization of the Phase Behavior of Oil Samples Under Refinery Process Conditions

To help address production issues in refineries caused by the fouling of process units and lines, we have developed a setup as well as a method to visualize the behavior of petroleum samples under process conditions. The experimental setup relies on a custom-built micro-reactor fitted with a sapphire window at the bottom, which is placed over the objective of an inverted microscope equipped with a cross-polarizer module. Using reflection microscopy enables the visualization of opaque samples, such as petroleum vacuum residues, or asphaltenes. The combination of the sapphire window from the micro-reactor with the cross-polarizer module of the microscope on the light path allows high-contrast imaging of isotropic and anisotropic media. While observations are carried out, the micro-reactor can be heated to the temperature range of cracking reactions (up to 450 &#176;C), can be subjected to H2 pressure relevant to hydroconversion reactions (up to 16 MPa), and can stir the sample by magnetic coupling. 
Observations are typically carried out by taking snapshots of the sample under cross-polarized light at regular time intervals. Image analyses may not only provide information on the temperature, pressure, and reactive conditions yielding phase separation, but may also give an estimate of the evolution of the chemical (absorption/reflection spectra) and physical (refractive index) properties of the sample before the onset of phase separation.

In Situ Visualization of the Phase Behavior of Oil Samples Under Refinery Process Conditions

This article describes a setup and method for the in situ visualization of oil samples under a variety of temperature and pressure conditions that aim to emulate refining and upgrading processes. It is primarily used for studying isotropic and anisotropic media involved in the fouling behavior of petroleum feeds.

To help address production issues in refineries caused by the fouling of process units and lines, we have developed a setup as well as a method to ...

A Novel Biaxial Testing Apparatus for the Determination of Forming Limit under Hot Stamping Conditions

The hot stamping and cold die quenching process is increasingly used to form complex shaped structural components of sheet metals. Conventional experimental approaches, such as out-of-plane and in-plane tests, are not applicable to the determination of forming limits when heating and rapid cooling processes are introduced prior to forming for tests conducted under hot stamping conditions. A novel in-plane biaxial testing system was designed and used for the determination of forming limits of sheet metals at various strain paths, temperatures, and strain rates after heating and cooling processes in a resistance heating uniaxial testing machine. The core part of the biaxial testing system is a biaxial apparatus, which transfers a uniaxial force provided by the uniaxial testing machine to a biaxial force. One type of cruciform specimen was designed and verified for the formability test of aluminum alloy 6082 using the proposed biaxial testing system. The digital image correlation (DIC) system with a high-speed camera was used for taking strain measurements of a specimen during a deformation. The aim of proposing this biaxial testing system is to enable the forming limits of an alloy to be determined at various temperatures and strain rates under hot stamping conditions.

This protocol proposes a novel biaxial testing system used on a resistance heating uniaxial tensile test machine in order to determine the forming limit diagram (FLD) of sheet metals under hot stamping conditions.

The hot stamping and cold die quenching process is increasingly used to form complex shaped structural components of sheet metals. Conventional ...

Orientational Transition in a Liquid Crystal Triggered by the Thermodynamic Growth of Interfacial Wetting Sheets

In liquid crystal (LC) physical chemistry, molecules near the surface play a great role in controlling bulk orientation. Thus far, mainly to achieve desired molecular orientation states in LC displays, the "static" surface property of LCs, so-called surface anchoring, has been intensively studied. As a rule of thumb, once the initial orientation of LCs is "locked" by specific surface treatments, such as rubbing or treatment with a specific alignment layer, it hardly changes with temperature. Here, we present a system exhibiting an orientational transition upon temperature variation, which conflicts with the consensus. Right on the transition, the bulk LC molecules experience the orientational rotation, with 90&#176; between the planar (P) orientation at high temperatures and the vertical (V) orientation at low temperatures in the first-order transitional manner. We have tracked thermodynamic surface anchoring behavior by means of polarizing optical microscopy (POM), dielectric spectroscopy (DS), high-resolution differential scanning calorimetry (HR-DSC), and grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GI-XRD) and reached a plausible physical explanation: that the transition is triggered by a growth of surface wetting sheets, which impose the V orientation locally against the P orientation in the bulk. This landscape would provide a general link explaining how the equilibrium bulk orientation is affected by surface-localized orientation in many LC systems. In our characterization, POM and DS are advantageous by offering information on the spatial distribution of the orientation of LC molecules. HR-DSC gives information about the precise thermodynamic information on transitions, which cannot be addressed by conventional DSC instruments due to limited resolution. GI-XRD provides information on surface-specific molecular orientation and short-range orderings. The goal of this paper is to present a protocol for preparing a sample that exhibits the transition and to demonstrate how the thermodynamic structural variation, both in the bulk and on surfaces, can be analyzed through the abovementioned methods.

Here, we present a protocol to trigger an orientational transition of a liquid crystal in response to temperature. Methodologies are described for preparing a sample in order to observe the transition and the detailed transitional evolution.

In liquid crystal (LC) physical chemistry, molecules near the surface play a great role in controlling bulk orientation. Thus far, mainly to achieve ...

All-electronic Nanosecond-resolved Scanning Tunneling Microscopy: Facilitating the Investigation of Single Dopant Charge Dynamics

The miniaturization of semiconductor devices to scales where small numbers of dopants can control device properties requires the development of new techniques capable of characterizing their dynamics. Investigating single dopants requires sub-nanometer spatial resolution, which motivates the use of scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). However, conventional STM is limited to millisecond temporal resolution. Several methods have been developed to overcome this shortcoming, including all-electronic time-resolved STM, which is used in this study to examine dopant dynamics in silicon with nanosecond resolution. The methods presented here are widely accessible and allow for local measurement of a wide variety of dynamics at the atomic scale. A novel time-resolved scanning tunneling spectroscopy technique is presented and used to efficiently search for dynamics.

We demonstrate an all-electronic method to observe nanosecond-resolved charge dynamics of dopant atoms in silicon with a scanning tunneling microscope.

The miniaturization of semiconductor devices to scales where small numbers of dopants can control device properties requires the development of new ...

Electric-field Control of Electronic States in WS2 Nanodevices by Electrolyte Gating

A method of carrier number control by electrolyte gating is demonstrated. We have obtained WS2 thin flakes with atomically flat surface via scotch tape method or individual WS2 nanotubes by dispersing the suspension of WS2 nanotubes. The selected samples have been fabricated into devices by the use of the electron beam lithography and electrolyte is put on the devices. We have characterized the electronic properties of the devices under applying the gate voltage. In the small gate voltage region, ions in the electrolyte are accumulated on the surface of the samples which leads to the large electric potential drop and resultant electrostatic carrier doping at the interface. Ambipolar transfer curve has been observed in this electrostatic doping region. When the gate voltage is further increased, we met another drastic increase of source-drain current which implies that ions are intercalated into layers of WS2 and electrochemical carrier doping is realized. In such electrochemical doping region, superconductivity has been observed. The focused technique provides a powerful strategy for achieving the electric-filed-induced quantum phase transition.

Electric-field Control of Electronic States in WS2 Nanodevices by Electrolyte Gating

Here, we present a protocol to control the carrier number in solids by using the electrolyte.

A method of carrier number control by electrolyte gating is demonstrated. We have obtained WS2 thin flakes with atomically flat surface via scotch tape ...