Quantum Applications
Introduction
Diamond, a robust tetrahedral network of carbon atoms forming a cubic lattice of immense strength and garnering an array of unique properties. These qualities elevate it far beyond a mere precious gemstone. The scientific community have only scratched the surface of quantum diamond applications. The United Nations have heralded 2025 as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology.
Natural diamonds are inherently scarce as well as highly variable in terms of structure and purity, thus making them unsuitable for engineering applications. Advancements in synthetic processing has increased greatly since the early days of synthetic diamond development; using chemical vapour deposition (CVD) to produce covalent crystal diamonds.
Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD)
CVD diamond exploits the relatively small difference in stability between the two allotropes (sp2 & sp3) of carbon. Under the right conditions, surface temperatures above 600 °C and in the presence of atomic hydrogen, a fast nucleation and growth rate of CVD diamond is established. Conditions for growth are created by thermal dissociation of hydrogen, a gaseous source of carbon and a gas temperature well over 2000 °C.
High Pressure, High Temperature (HPHT)
Alternatively, the vast majority of synthetic diamond is produced using high pressure, high temperature methods (HPHT). This aims to mimic the thermodynamic conditions of naturally occurring diamond with an additional catalyst, providing a transport medium for dissolved carbon. HPHT diamonds grow in a cuboctahedron shape and have 14 different growth directions, whereas CVD diamond has a cubic shape and only one growth direction. Material grown this way typically has a yellow hue, as a consequence of nitrogen incorporation into the diamond lattice from the atmosphere and growth materials. This perceived “impurity” however, is the key to Nitrogen Vacancy (NV) and the production of Quantum Diamonds.
Hydrogen (H2) N5.5
Hydrogen atoms don’t fuel diamond growth directly, but hydrogen dissociation, or breakdown, is crucial for transforming methane into acetylene and transporting atomic hydrogen to the diamond growth surface. These are both important for diamond growth. With more hydrogen near the surface, more diamond can form, even at lower temperatures.
Attaching hydrogen to the diamond surface has implications both for microelectronics and quantum sensors. Hydrogen atoms can interact with diamond surfaces and lead them to conduct electricity, and, at the same time, they are needed as a starting point before attaching other, more complex molecules.
Available purity N5.5 (99.9995%)
Methane (CH4) N6.0
Acting as the sole source of carbon for Quantum diamond development. Carbon atoms from the methane, settle out of the plasma onto a heated seed layer that prompts the growth of a diamond crystal film.
The diamond film is then hit with an electron beam, which displaces some carbon atoms from the crystal structure to create empty spaces. These vacancies are distributed randomly among the carbon and nitrogen atoms and are key to the next phase of NV production.
Available purity N6.0 (99.9999%)
Nitrogen (N2) N5.6
Subsequently heating the diamond above 700 °C energises the atoms, causing the vacancies to move around. Many of them settle next to nitrogen atoms to form nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centres.
The nitrogen atom, vacancy and the carbon atoms immediately around them form an ‘artificial atom’, which has its own quantum property, known as spin. The ability to control this spin provides a variety of practical real world applications.
Available purity up to N5.6 (99.9996%)
Resources & Additional Material
Primarily based in the UK but with sites worldwide, one of our most esteemed customers Element Six, expertly demonstrating the processes involved and exemplifying the potential quantum diamond development has on our future.
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