Split-gasket approach to the integration of electrical leads into diamond anvil cells

TL;DR

This paper introduces a split-gasket method for integrating multiple electrical leads into diamond anvil cells, enhancing versatility and reproducibility for high-pressure low-temperature experiments.

Contribution

The novel split-gasket approach simplifies electrical lead integration in diamond anvil cells without requiring customized diamonds, enabling multiple connections at moderate pressures.

Findings

Achieved 12 electrical leads within 100 μm of the center at 2 GPa

Demonstrated comparable pressure capabilities to regular gaskets

Enhanced experimental reproducibility and versatility

Abstract

Transport and heat capacity measurements under pressure must reconcile the limited available space and complicated geometry of a high-pressure cell with the need for multiple electrical connections. One solution for diamond anvil cells is to use customized diamonds with deposited electrical leads. Here, we instead address the problem through a split-gasket approach, intended for diamond anvil cells at moderate pressures and low temperature. A key component is the use of a substrate with lithographically defined leads, which enables connections to components such as thermometer, heater, and/or sample within the confined sample volume of the cell. The design includes an elaborate BeCu gasket sandwich with a preparation method that ensures electrical contact integrity. Using this configuration, we bring 12 leads to within 100 $\mu$m of the center of the diamond anvil at a pressure of about 2 GPa, comparable to the pressure reached with a regular gasket, demonstrating the setup's capability for high-pressure experiments. The split-gasket approach may come at the cost of reduced maximum pressure, but brings versatility and reproducibility, and alleviates the experimental efforts of maintaining multiple electrical leads both intact and electrically isolated.