Ruby under pressure

The ruby luminescence method is widely used for pressure measurement in the diamond anvil cell and other optically transparent pressure cells. With this application in mind, we briefly review the ground-state physical properties of corundum (alpha-Al2O3) with some emphasis on its behavior under high pressure, survey the effects of temperature and stress on the R-line luminescence of ruby (Cr-doped corundum), and address the recent efforts towards an improved calibration of the R-line shift under hydrostatic pressures beyond the 50GPa mark.