Key points
- Researchers are transforming cheap industrial-grade diamonds into advanced sensing materials.
- Quantum diamonds can detect signals at the scale of individual molecules.
- This collaboration with Japan's National Institute for Quantum Science and Technology (QST) supports Australia's sovereign capability in quantum technologies.
Diamonds have long been coveted for their beauty. Their dazzling colour and clarity make them perfect candidates for luxury jewellery. However, it's their other unique characteristics, including their hardness, thermal conductivity and chemical resistance, which make diamonds suitable for various applications in industry and advanced technologies.
At the quantum scale, carefully engineered diamonds can behave like tiny sensors – able to 'feel' magnetic signals from nearby molecules. In simple terms, they can pick up incredibly faint signals that would otherwise be invisible to conventional instruments. This capability could help us detect contaminants in water, identify disease biomarkers, and monitor chemical processes in real time.
A CSIRO team, together with partners from the University of Melbourne and Japan's National Institute for Quantum Science and Technology (QST), is developing advanced manufacturing methods that take diamond 'dust' – tiny particles sourced from cheap industrial processes – and transform it into precision nanodiamonds suitable for quantum technologies.
The team's goal is to develop a scalable, lower-cost pathway to quantum-grade diamond materials that can be produced locally. This will advance Australia's critical quantum technologies, strengthen regional innovation capability, and reduce our reliance on unpredictable global supply chains.
What makes a diamond 'quantum'?
Let's get technical for a moment.
A diamond's structure is formed by a lattice of carbon atoms. In this crystalline structure each carbon atom is bonded to four others in a tetrahedral arrangement, forming a rigid 3D network. Quantum-grade diamonds contain specific atomic-scale 'defects' in this lattice, that allow for the creation of quantum systems. And because they are one of the strongest structures in nature, diamonds are able to host quantum systems at room temperature, without needing to be cooled down to cryogenic temperatures (-273 degrees C) like in other materials.
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