X-ray diffraction measurements in a rotational diamond anvil cell

We have established an experimental method to perform synchrotron X-ray diffraction in a rotational diamond anvil cell to study the properties of a material under pressure and shear by achieving a quasi-homogeneous pressure distribution. The uniform distribution of pressure eliminates the peak widening caused by pressure deviation in the sample chamber. This enables us to explore the effects of shear on the physical and chemical properties such as the structural disorder, phase transformation, and chemical bonding. The method has been applied in studying the shear-induced stacking fault, phase transition-induced plasticity, and the shear-induced formation of bonding between diamond and hexagonal boron nitride.