The pressure transmitting medium is an important component in any high-pressure experiment. The medium fills the space within the sample 'chamber' and applies the pressure being transmitted to the medium onto the sample. In a good high-pressure experiment, the medium should maintain a homogeneous distribution of pressure on the sample. In other words, the medium must stay hydrostatic to ensure uniform compressibility of the sample. Once a pressure transmitting medium has lost its hydrostaticity, a pressure gradient forms in the chamber that increases with increasing pressure. This gradient can greatly affect the sample, compromising results. The medium must also be inert, as to not interact with the sample, and stable under high pressures. For experiments with laser heating, the medium should have low thermal conductivity. If an optical technique is being employed, the medium should be optically transparent and for x-ray diffraction, the medium should be a poor x-ray scatterer – as to not contribute to the signal.