lab grown diamonds for use in science and technology

Since diamonds can be made artificially, the artificial diamond industry has grown rapidly, and even a range of technological fields surrounding artificial diamonds have seen rapid development, including cutting-edge technology: Quantum Computing.

The general idea is that in quantum computing, scientists need a diamond/diamond with rare defects that can preserve quantum states such as 'spins' for milliseconds, which can be recorded and used by scientists for calculations and data storage. 

Diamond is favoured because this material can function even at room temperature.

But materials with such special properties are hard to find in the natural diamond field, and if they are, their value is very high. But the rapid development of lab diamonds/artificial diamond technology has opened scientists' eyes to the possibility of creating such characteristics at a relatively low cost, thus providing an infinitely wide scope for the development of quantum computing capabilities.

Ayush believes that we are in an era of 'quantum breakthroughs' and that this maturing industry is likely to be rapidly commercialised. In an article published by BCG in July 2021, the organisation believes that the quantum computer industry will create a market value of $10 billion in the next three to five years, and $850 billion in 30 years.

There are many companies and research institutions (including colleges) around the world that are getting involved, but India's involvement in this area is currently relatively low. The 'only known' researcher in this field in the country is Kassuri Saha, who is leading the Laboratory of Photonics and Quantum Enabled Sensing Technologies at IIT Bombay, focusing on quantum applications in precision metrology, sensing and imaging using diamond-based nitrogen vacancy centres (NVs).

In his Budget 2023 speech, the Indian Finance Minister offered a sum of Rs 4.2 billion for IIT to set up a 'National Centre for Diamond Cultivation'. Apart from encouraging the production of lab grown diamonds and the development of equipment technology, a portion will be used for research in the field of quantum computing.

Between HPHT and CVD, why has India chosen to focus on CVD? Apart from those economic and even political reasons, the prospect of CVD applications in cutting-edge technologies such as quantum computing, thermal cooling solutions, nano-diamond cells, etc. is a very important reason.

In a nutshell, India is not focused on developing only the diamond cutting and grinding industry as we usually think, but has started to focus on, and with the support of the government, developing the application of synthetic diamonds/diamonds in cutting edge technologies. The country has already achieved some outstanding results in the field of quantum computing, but the industry still needs to always keep a long-term perspective and look at the industrial and technological applications of diamond as an important endeavour.