The use of high pressure in basic and materials science

There are at least three important applications of the high pressure technique in basic and materials science: (1) to synthesize novel materials not accessible by other techniques, (2) to transform a given material from one phase to another, and (3) to uncover underlying systematics and critically test theoretical concepts. High pressure studies currently enjoy an increasing popularity which is fueled by advances in the notably difficult experimental techniques. In this paper I will attempt to capture some of the current excitement in this held by offering brief synopses of selected experiments. It is noted that the use of high pressures in materials synthesis is clearly underutilized. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.