Diamond anvil high-pressure cell for Raman spectroscopy

A design of a diamond anvil cell is described where a single crystal of sapphire is used for the backing of one anvil with the advantage of an enlarged aperture at an extended pressure range. The selection of diamond anvils with low luminescence at excitation with the Argon Ion laser is discussed. Procedures to control the stresses in samples at very high pressures are given and illustrated by Raman spectra of D2O.