Materials Under EXtreme Conditions

(LNF & Sez.Firenze)

M. Cestelli Guidi, G. Della Ventura, D. Di Gioacchino, L. Gambicorti, A. Marcelli, A. Mottana , E. Pace, P. Postorino, A. Puri, N. Saini , F. Tabacchioni, R. Sorchetti

MUEXC is an interdisciplinary project started in 2009, of research and development (R&D), coordinated by the Frascati National Laboratories (LNF-INFN) in the framework of the Vth committee. It has involved the INFN-Firenze Unit, the Department of Physics of ”Sapienza” University and the Department of Geological Science of the Roma Tre, the LIME Laboratory (IFN-CNR), the CNR-INOA (Firenze), the Zaragoza University and several Italian industries.

The MUEXC, is an evolution of another Vth committee scientific experiment called PRESS-MAG-O (2005-2008) and will complete the development of the ‘PRESS-MAG-O’ device. This instrumentation is an unique device [2006 Activity Highlights of the ‘INFN TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH (Vth Committee)] where it is possible to realize concurrent IR spectroscopy and a.c. multi-harmonic magnetic susceptibility experiments controlling pressure, magnetic field and temperature. The device will allow to investigate new materials under extreme conditions for INFN technological applications, such as high performance superconductors for magnets, detectors, sensors materials (for accelerator & space applications) and new quantum phenomena. The project is based on the R&D of a cryostat and of the instrumentation necessary to perform concurrent ac magnetic measurements and magneto-optic experiments on samples under high pressure, high DC magnetic field and in a wide temperature range (~4K-RT). The system may allow performing experiments with IR synchrotron radiation or Raman.

In the international scene, there are no similar devices capable of simultaneous magneto-optical measures, using a beam of IR radiation in a wide range of wavelengths and magneto-dynamic in a large frequency range, with pressure and DC magnetic field.

The cryostat PRESS-MAG-O is located in new laboratory 'LAMPS' (LAboratory of Magnetism and High Pressure experiments and Spectroscopy) activated in the new experimental LNF area called 'Legnaro building’.