Hydrostatic optical cell for temperatures below 350 K and pressures to 400MPa

A compact optical pressure cell tested at pressures up to 400 MPa is presen ted. The cell has been used within the temperature range 10-350 K. The cell has a small mass of 0.2 kg which facilitates rapid changes in temperature. A new high-pressure window seal is presented which allows the cell to be m ounted directly in vacuum with no leak over its entire temperature and pres sure range. A method of attaching the cell to common coldhead-type cryostat s and closed-cycle refrigerators is presented. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0034-6748(99)01702-5].