Research areas include phase transitions and magnetism of minerals, transition metals and oxides in the mantle and core, as well as properties of dense water and ice.

Physics and chemistry of iron in the Earth's core. Properties of iron in the Earth's core are much different from those we are used to. For example, its magnetism, density, and melting point are dramatically modified at pressures and temperatures inside the Earth`s core. The goal of the project is to find out what these properties are. This is important for understanding the thermal evolution of our planet and the origin of its magnetic field.

Stability of iron oxides in the Earth’s interior. At high pressures, wustite, hematite and magnetite exhibit a multifaceted behavior characterized by a number of structural and electronic/magnetic transformations (e.g. metallization) and breakdown reactions. Techniques of Raman spectroscopy and synchrotron x-ray diffraction as well as thermodynamic calculations are applied in order to understand the high-pressure behavior of these oxides and translate the acquired knowledge into the implications for the mantle properties and dynamics.

Water and H2O-ices at high pressure. Understanding of properties of H2O at high pressures and temperatures is of fundamental interest for modeling geological processes not only in the Earth but also in the H2O-rich bodies of Jovian planets and their icy satellites.

High-pressure magnetic studies in strong fields. Studies on magnetoresistance and Hall-effect in metals in diamond anvil cell.

• Andrault D., Morard G., Bolfan-Casanova N., Ohtaka O., Fukui H., Arima H., Guignot N., Funakoshi K., Lazor P., Mezouar M., Study of partial melting at high pressure using in situ X-ray diffraction, High Pressure Research, 26, 267-276, 2006.
• Wang, Z., Zhau, Y., Lazor, P., Annersten, H. and Saxena, S.K., In-situ pressure Raman spectroscopy and mechanical stability of superhard boron suboxid., Appl. Phys. Let. , 86, 041911, 2005.
• Lazor P, Mineralen i jordens inre - Hur ser de ut och hur vet vi det?, Geologiskt forum, 47, 42-47, 2005. 
• Boye S.A., Lazor P., Ahuja, R., Magnetoresistance and Hall-effect measurements of Ni thin films, Journal of Applied Physics, 97, 083902, 2005.
• Boye S.A., Lazor P., Ahuja, R., Magnetoresistance and Hall effect measurements of Ni to 6 GPa, Journal of Magnetism and magnetic Materials, 294, 347-358, 2005.
• Sundberg S. and Lazor P., Study of thermal pressure and phase transitions in H2O using optical pressure sensors in the diamond anvil cell , J.Phys.: Condensed Matter, 16, S1223-S1233, 2004. 
• Lazor P., Shebanova O., Annersten H., High-pressure study of stability of magnetite by thermodynamic analysis and synchrotron X-ray diffraction, Journal of Geophysical Research, 109, B05201: 1-16, 2004. 
• Boye S.A., Rosén D., Lazor P., Katardjiev I., Precise magnetoresistance and Hall resistivity measurements in the diamond anvil cell, Review of Scientific Instruments, 75(11), 5010, 2004.
• Shebanova N.O., Lazor P., Vibrational modeling of the thermodynamic properties of magnetite (Fe3O4) at high pressure from Raman spectroscopic study, J. Chem. Physics, 119, 6100-6110, 2003. 
• Wang Z., Saxena S.K., Lazor P., O´Neill H.S.C., An in situ Raman spectroscopic study of pressure induced dissociation of spinel NiCr2O4 , J. Phys. Chem. Solids, 64, 425-431, 2003.
• Shebanova N.O., Lazor P., Raman study of magnetite (Fe3O4): laser-induced thermal effects and oxidation, J. Raman Spectroscopy, 34, 845-852, 2003. 
• Shebanova N.O., Lazor P., Raman spectroscopic study of magnetite (FeFe2O4): a new assignment for the vibrational spectrum, J. Solid State Chemistry, 174, 424-430, 2003. 
• Wang, Z., ONeill, H.S.C., Lazor, P., Saxena, S.K., High pressure Raman spectroscopic study of spinel MgCr2O4, Journal of Physics and Chemistry of Solids, 63, 2057-2061, 2002.
• Wang, Z., Lazor, P., Saxena, S.K., Artioli, G., High pressure Raman spectroscopic study of spinel ZnCr2O4, Journal of Solid State Chemistry, 165, 165-170, 2002.
• Wang, Z., Lazor, P., Saxena, S.K., ONeill H.S.C., High pressure Raman spectroscopy of ferrite MgFe2O4, Materials Research Bulletin, 37, 1589-1602, 2002.
• Wang, Z., Pischedda, V., Saxena, S.K., Lazor, P., X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopic study of nanocrystalline CuO under pressures, Solid State Communications, 121, 275-279, 2002.
• Wang, Z., Lazor, P., Saxena, S.K., A new empirical method for estimating the high pressure melting temperatures of solids, NaCl as an example, High Temp. High Press., 33, 357-363, 2001.
• Rekhi S., Saxena S.K., Lazor P., High-pressure Raman study on nanocrystalline CeO2, J. Applied Physics, 89, 2968-2971, 2001.
• Wang, Z.W., Schott, B., Lazor, P., Saxena, S.K., Improved equations for addressing the high pressure melting of metastable silicate perovskites, Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 315, 51-58, 2001.
• Wang, Z., Lazor, P., Saxena, S.K., The analysis on high pressure melting temperature dependence of thermodynamic parameters of solids, Materials Letters, 49, 287-293, 2001.
• Wang Z., Lazor P., Saxena S.K., A simple model for assessing the high pressure melting of metals: nickel, aluminium and platinum, Physica B, 298, 408-416, 2001. 
• Lazor P., Temperature measurement in a laser-heated DAC, Proceedings from International Symposium on Advanced Materials: Ultra-High Pressure Research (ISAM 2001), NIRIM, Tsukuba, Japan, 45-46, 2001. 
• Hänström, A., Lazor, P., High Pressure Melting and Equation of State of Aluminium, J. Alloys Comp., 305, 209-215, 2000.
• Saxena, S.K., Lazor, P., Dubrovinsky, L.S., A model of Earth’s deep interior based on mineral-physics data, Mineralogy and Petrology, 69, 1-10, 2000.
• Lazor, P., Saxena, S.K., Dubrovinsky, L.S., Weber, H.P., Le Bihan, T., Synchotron X-ray diffraction of iron under high pressure and temperature, Science and Technology of High Pressure, Proceedings of AIRAPT-17, Honolulu, Hawaii, 25-30 July 1999, 1059-1062, 2000. 
• Dubrovinsky, L.S., Lazor, P., Saxena, S.K., Häggkvist, P., Weber, H.-P., Le Bihan, T., Study of laser heated iron using third generation synchrotron X-ray radiation facility with imaging plate at high pressure, Phys. Chem. Minerals, 26, 539-545, 1999. 
• Saxena, S.K., Dubrovinsky, L.S., Lazor, P., Hu, J., In situ x-ray study of perovskite (MgSiO3): phase transition and dissociation at mantle conditions, Eur. J. Mineral, 10, 1275-1281, 1998. 
• Dubrovinsky, L.S., Saxena, S.K., Lazor, P., Stability of ß-iron: A new synchrotron x-ray study of heated iron at high pressure, Eur. J. Mineral., 10, 43-47, 1998. 
• Dubrovinsky, L.S., Saxena, S.K., Lazor, P., High-pressure and high-temperature in situ x-ray diffraction study of iron and corundum to 68 GPa using internally heated diamond anvil cell, Phys. Chem Minerals, 25, 434-441, 1998.
• Dubrovinsky L.S., Saxena S.K., Lazor P., Weber, H.P., Structure of beta-iron at high temperature and pressure (technical comment), Science, 281, 11a: 1-3, 1998.
• Dubrovinsky, L.S., Saxena, S.K., Lazor, P., X-ray study of iron with in-situ heating at ultra high pressures, Geophys. Res. Lett., 24, 1835-1838, 1997. 
• Dubrovinsky, L.S., Saxena, S.K., Lazor, P., Ahuja, R., Eriksson, O., Wills, J.M., Johansson, B., Experimental and theoretical identification of a new high-pressure phase of silica, Nature, 388, 362-365, 1997.
• Lazor, P., Saxena, S.K., Discussion comment on melting criteria and imaging spectroradiometry in laser-heated diamond-cell experiments (by Jeanloz, R., Kavner, A.), Phil. Trans. R. Soc. London A, 354, 1307-1313, 1996. 
• Saxena, S.K., Dubrovinsky, L.S., Lazor, P., Cerenius, Y., Häggkvist, P., Hanfland, M., Hu, J., Stability of perovskite (MgSiO3) in the Earth’s Mantle, Science, 274, 1357-1359, 1996. 
• Shen, G., Lazor, P., Measurement of melting temperatures of some minerals under lower mantle pressures, J. Geophys. Res., 100, 17699-17713, 1995. 
• Saxena SK, Shen G, Lazor P, Temperatures in Earth's core based on melting and phase transformation experiments on iron, Science, 264, 405-407, 1994. 
• Lazor P, Shen G, Saxena SK, Laser-heated diamond anvil cell experiments at high pressure: Melting curve of nickel up to 700 kbar, Phys Chem Minerals, 20, 86-90, 1993. 
• Shen G, Lazor P, Saxena SK, Melting of wustite and iron up to pressures of 600 kbar, Phys Chem Minerals, 20, 91-96, 1993. 
• Saxena SK, Shen G, Lazor P, Experimental evidence for a new iron phase and implications for Earth, Science, 260, 1312-1314, 1993. 
• Adamkovicova K, Fellner P, Kosa L, Lazor P, Nerad I, Proks I, Determination of the enthalpy of fusion of Na3FSO4, Thermochimica Acta, 191, 57-61, 1991.
  

Teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in mineral physics, thermodynamics, crystal optics, planetary geology, Raman spectroscopy, high-pressure science and technology.