A portable laser heating microscope for high pressure research

We report the progress of the construction of a portable laser heating microscope for a broad range of materials studies at extreme pressure-temperature conditions. The essential features are portability, a broad temperature range, and a modular design making it flexible for a variety of applications in high pressure research for different environments, including in synchrotron and neutron applications and optical spectroscopies. The integrated instrument functions like a microscope, containing an infinity-corrected microscope head, fiber lasers, IR and UV spectrograph modules, IR and visible CCD cameras, and a control system. It provides stable laser heating on an area greater than 30 μm in diameter. Temperature can be controlled and reliably measured down to 500 K. Extending temperature measurement over 10,000 K with the short wavelength optics is discussed.