Exploiting Next Generation X-ray Sources for Extreme Conditions Research

Understanding how the structure and physical properties of materials change under extremes of pressure and temperature is essential if we are to develop predictive capabilities on how materials work under such conditions, thereby driving innovation in material design and engineering for the improved materials of tomorrow. Much progress has been made in the last 20 years, to the extent that our understanding of how the crystallographic and electronic structure of matter changes when it is compressed to very high pressures has transformed completely in that time. However, the lack of suitable technologies has severely limited our ability to tackle two key "known unknowns": how do pressure-induced structural changes occur in elements, and how are the microstructure and physical properties of more complex materials, such as key binary alloys, affected by extreme pressures and temperatures. We will exploit our team's expertise in experimental high-pressure physics, combined with recent advances in high repetition rate lasers, and the unprecedented brightness and spatial coherence of next generation synchrotron and x-ray free electron laser facilities, to make definitive studies of phase transitions, transition mechanisms, microstructure, and material strength in key elemental and alloy systems using x-ray diffraction and imaging. In collaboration with our Project Partners, we will then use electronic structure calculations to understand the physics behind the observed material response, and thereby develop new understanding and improved predictive capabilities in the behaviour of matter at extreme conditions.