Neutron diffraction as a probe of liquid and glass structures under extreme conditions

Neutrons provide a unique tool for probing the structure of liquid and glassy materials, and deliver information that cannot be obtained from other experimental techniques. Advances in neutron diffraction instrumentation and measurement protocols now make it possible to measure the structure of these disordered materials under extremes of high temperatures or high pressures. Here, we consider the use of aerodynamic levitation with laser heating to explore the structure of glass-forming oxide melts at high temperatures, and the use of a Paris-Edinburgh press to investigate the mechanisms of density-driven network collapse for glassy materials in the gigapascal (GPa) pressure regime.