Seminars Archive

Matter under extreme conditions: unconventional experiments at laboratory, synchrotron and FEL

Abstract
Nowadays, the study of matter under extreme conditions of temperature, pressure and size is essential both in research on condensed matter physics and in development of new advanced materials and devices. Under extreme conditions, matter exhibits fascinating changes that alter both the atomic and the electronic structure thus possibly leading to new intriguing phases and states of matter. Continuous development of original experimental set-ups and techniques is indispensable for probing unknown regions of the stable and metastable phase diagram as well as for further improving the sensitivity to subtle changes in the order at the atomic scale. The aim of this talk is to provide an overview of several unconventional experiments recently devised and carried out both at laboratory and synchrotrons on samples under extreme conditions, examining the peculiarities and the limits of the chosen experimental approaches and motivating possible further developments. These experiments will be discussed in light of the forthcoming availability of the FERMI@Elettra free electron laser (FEL) that will open new experimental perspectives in research on matter under extreme conditions.