A sample cell for diffraction studies with control of temperature, relative humidity and applied electric field

Sample cells for applying an electric field on the sample during synchrotron X-ray diffraction experiments have been designed and built, both for small single crystals in an arbitrary orientation and for thin films. For the former type of sample, the cell also includes equipment for control of relative humidity and temperature. Cells of different design have been used successfully with single crystals of two distinct phases of the organic ferroelectric Rochelle salt and in studies of epitaxial thin films of ferroelectric PbTiO₃ on a SrTiO₃ substrate under weak electric fields.