Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Pressing on: The legacy of Percy W. Bridgman

  • Commentary
  • Published:

From Nature Materials

View current issue Submit your manuscript

Abstract

A hundred years ago, Percy Bridgman invented mechanical devices that dramatically expanded the high-pressure range available for carrying out physics and chemistry experiments into an unprecedented regime of high densities. His pioneering work revolutionized condensed matter research.His spirit remains alive today as researchers continue to push back the boundaries of high-pressure science.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Figure 1: Large volume high-pressure devices derived from those designed by Bridgman are used for materials synthesis, crystal growth and phase-equilibrium studies, and also for determination of properties such as electrical conductivity, melting and rheological phenomena in materials.
Figure 2: The miniature DAC is based on Bridgman's original idea of an opposed anvil press.

R. J. HEMLEY, GEOPHYS LAB, WASHINGTON DC

Figure 3: New technological materials obtained from high-pressure experiments.

P. LOUBEYRE, CEA, FRANCE

References

  1. Bridgman, P. W. The Physics of High Pressure (Bell, London, 1931).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Hazen, R. M. The Diamond Makers (Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge, 1999).

    Google Scholar 

  3. Liu, L.-G. & Bassett, W. A. Elements, Oxides, Silicates: High-Pressure Phases with Implications for the Earth's Interior (Oxford Univ. Press, Oxford, 1986).

    Google Scholar 

  4. Hemley, R. J. (ed.) Ultrahigh-Pressure Mineralogy: Physics and Chemistry of the Earth's Deep Interior (Reviews in Mineralogy, Vol. 37, Mineralogical Society of America, Washington DC, 1998).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  5. Hemley, R. J. Ann. Rev. Phys. Chem. 51, 763–800 (2000).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. McMillan, P. F. Nature Mater. 1, 19–25 (2002).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Hemley, R. J. & Mao, H.-K. Mineral. Mag. 66, 791–811 (2002).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Irifune, T. Mineral. Mag. 66, 769–790 (2002).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Yan, C.-S. et al. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 99, 12523–12525 (2002).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. S. T. Weir, et al. Epitaxial diamond encapsulation of metal microprobes for high pressure experiments. Appl. Phys. Lett., 77, 3400–3402 (2000).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Weir, S. T., Mitchell, A. C. & Nellis. W. J. Phys. Rev. Lett. 76, 1860–1863 (1996).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. He, H. et al. Phys. Rev. B 62, 11412–11417 (2000).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Zerr, A. et al. Nature 400, 340–342 (1999).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Bundy, F. et al. Nature 176, 51–55 (1955).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Haines, J., Léger, J. M. & Bocquillon, J. Ann. Rev. Mater. Res. 31, 1–23 (2001).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Eremets, M. I. et al. J. Chem. Phys. 121, 11296–11300 (2004).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Brazhkin, V. V. & Lyapin, A. G. Nature Mater. 3, 497–500 (2004).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. McMillan, P. F. J. Mater. Chem. 14, 1506–1512 (2004).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. McMillan, P. F. & Clary D. C. (eds) Phil. Trans. A. 363 (special issue), 309–607 (2005).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Kelley, D. S., Baross, J. A. & Delaney, J. R. Ann. Rev. Earth Planet. Sci. 30, 385–491 (2002).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Paul F. McMillan is at the Davy-Faraday Research Laboratory, The Royal Institution of Great Britain, 21 Albemarle Street, London, W1X 4BS

    Paul F. McMillan

  2. Department of Chemistry and Materials Chemistry Centre, Christopher Ingold Laboratory, University College London, 20 Gordon Street, London, W1H 0AJ

    Paul F. McMillan

Authors
  1. Paul F. McMillan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

McMillan, P. Pressing on: The legacy of Percy W. Bridgman. Nature Mater 4, 715–718 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat1488

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat1488

  • Springer Nature Limited

This article is cited by

Search

Navigation