Within the research group CLEAR  we endeavor to understand large scale geological processes that operate deep inside planets. Our approach is to recreate high pressure-temperature conditions in the laboratory and examine various physical properties of minerals and rocks in situ using state-of-the-art spectroscopic techniques. Specifically, we use statically- and dynamically-heated diamond anvil cells together with a pulsed time-resolved broadband optical probe and a precisely-synchronized detector to explore the optical properties of planetary mantles and technological materials at extreme conditions. Details on the experimental setup and its capabilities are provided here.