One of the unanswered questions in physics is the time dependence of phase diagrams and how to model it. When a material is loaded dynamically through equilibrium phase boundaries, it is the kinetics that determines the real time expression of a phase transition. That in turn can play a significant role in the thermodynamic path that the material takes and its end state.
However, the role that kinetics of phase transitions play in a material’s constitutive properties is not well understood. This lack of understanding is due to a lack of experimental data of… more
Finding new exotic magnetic states arising from geometric frustration is a central focus in condensed matter physics today. One such state, marked by the absence of long-range magnetic ordering in the presence of strong magnetic coupling—even at absolute zero temperature—is the quantum spin liquid. High applied pressures offer several avenues to tune magnetic properties towards new exotic magnetic states. As increasing pressure modifies bond lengths, magnetic coupling interactions can be tuned towards a quantum critical point. Additionally, high pressure can stabilize metastable phases… more
The ability to understand and predict the response of matter at extreme conditions requires knowledge of a material’s equation-of-state, including the location of phase boundaries, transition kinetics, and the evolution of material strength. Cerium is a material with a complex phase diagram that continues to attract significant scientific interest. A recent publication, Dynamic experiments to study the α−ϵ phase transition in cerium (B. J. Jensen and F. J. Cherne from LANL and N. Velisavljevic, HPCAT/LLNL) J. Appl. Phys. 127, 095901 (2020);… more
A recent article in Science Advances has been selected as one of the Advanced Photon Source's science highlights. The team of researchers, led by Tim Strobel and Li Zhu of Carnegie Institution for Science, used advanced structure searching tools to predict the first thermodynamically stable carbon-based clathrate and then synthesized the clathrate structure,… more
HPCAT Group Leader, Maddury Somayazulu, was recently featured in the October 2019 issue of Scientific American. The article highlights some of Dr. Somayazulu’s scientific work, and in particular his effort in using high pressure and synchrotron x-ray techniques toward understanding and discovery of room-temperature superconductors. Dr. Somayazulu, along with HPCAT partner Professor Rus Hemley (University of Illinois at Chicago) and collaborators from Geophysical… more
HPCAT facilities, located at the Advanced Photon Source, were used in a recent research work in order to study a unique material system – pseudomorphic body center cubic (bcc) magnesium. The team, led by Mr. Manish Jain, a Ph.D. student from the University of Nevada, Reno, utilized bi-phase interface strain engineering to transform… more
Researchers from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Argonne National Laboratory, and University of Chicago have found a subtle phase transition in 1,3,5-Triamino-2,4,6- trinitrobenzene (TATB). TATB is an important compound in the energetic materials community as it is a highly stable, insensitive explosive. A more complete understanding of this and other energetic materials is crucial for practical use as well as the development of theoretical models. Extensive single-crystal diffraction experiments were carried out at HPCAT—located at the Advanced… more
Congratulations to Professor Yogesh K. Vohra, long time HPCAT user and NNSA-SSAA partner, and team for recognition of their work in part performed at HPCAT. Their article, authored by Samuel L. Moore, Gopi K. Samudrala, Shane A. Catledge, and Yogesh K. Vohra, "… more