Development and application of hybrid anvil technique for single-crystal magnetic neutron diffraction

Osakabe, Toyotaka  

Recently, We have developed indispensable high-pressure techniques for single-crystal magnetic neutron diffraction experiments beyond 3 GPa. One is a hybrid-anvil device which has an opposed pair of a supported SiC anvil by MP35N alloy and a WC anvil with a small hollow on the culet. In a feasibility test, we could generate pressures of 10 GPa at a load of 3.8 tons with high stability. Another is a pressure-transmitting medium with low compressibility and good hydrostaticity under high-pressure. We found that glycerin meets the requirements at least up to 7 GPa. We also developed a thermal neutron focusing device with a lot of curved supermirrors for high-pressure experiments with tiny samples. Using the high-pressure techniques described above, we have so far intensively performed high-pressure single-crystal magnetic neutron diffraction experiments at JRR-3. As an example, we will present the results of the experiments on filled skutterudite PrFeP up to 10.5 GPa.