Diamond nanocrystals called nanodiamonds, hosting point faults like nitrogen-vacancy or NV centers, are potential quantum materials.
As indicated in a Phys.org report, a central requirement to realize practical applications is the individual NV centers' at-will on integrated circuits.
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This is crucial for implementing quantum technologies, resulting in several exciting opportunities and arising fields like quantum computers, quantum metrology, and quantum communications.
Nonetheless, a flexible, versatile is still needed for achieving nanoscale preciseness, scalability, cost-efficiency, and effective coupling with a wide range of nanophotonic circuitries.
Numerous approaches like the sophisticated "pick-and-place" nanomanipulation method have been developed to position the nanodiamonds with NV centers on different substrates and circuits.
Nonetheless, this prerequisite suffers from coarse position preciseness, low throughput, and process complexness.
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Fluorescent nanodiamonds (red) surrounding and entering the HeLa cells. Blue signal is the emission of siRNA molecules carried into the cells by nanodiamonds.
Nano-Precision Printing
The research team led by Dr. Ji Tae Kim from the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Dr. Zhiqin Chu from Electrical and Electronic Engineering of the University of Hong Kong has devised a nano-precision printing approach for nitrogen-vacancy or NV centers in diamonds at the quantum level, meeting the requirements in technology.
This novel method is practical, not to mention, cost-efficient, paving the way for the quantum information processing device's manufacturing.
Achievement of this research has been published in Advanced Science in a piece entitled On-Demand, Direct Printing of Nanodiamonds at the Quantum Level."
The NV center is a point defect in the diamond lattice and is the most typical defect in nanodiamonds. It has occurred as a powerhouse for quantum systems because of their robust quantum states even at room temperature, whereas other quantum systems like a superconducting quantum interference device can operate at cryogenic temperatures, for instance, from 150 degrees Celsius to absolute zero.
Solid-State Device
In particular, the atom-like, solid-state device, with its optically addressable spin-degrees-of-freedom, offers the key functionalities for functioning as the quantum bit and, or quantum sensor in solid-state quantum processors. The researchers said diamond is the most solid material, and thus, it is difficult to craft.
According to a similar Nano Magazine, the study investigators have developed an innovative approach to tackle the issue.
They have used electrical dispensing of nanodiamond-laden liquid droplets, which have sub-attoliter volume, to position NV-centers directly on versatile substrates.
To the best of their knowledge in the team, Dr. Chu explained that the developed approach, for the first time, exhibits sub-wavelength positional accuracy, freedom patterning abilities, and single-effect level quality control that meets the technological requirements, marking a substantial breakthrough in quantum device manufacturing.
Nanodiamonds
EnviroDiamond describes nanodiamond as a "term used to describe diamond particles" so tiny that they are measured in nanometers or a billionth of one meter.
Essentially, nanodiamonds are very, very tiny, while diamond is pure carbon in their hardest state. Such tiny diamonds can be created through numerous methods, including detonating a carbon-producing explosive. Their size usually ranges from three to five nanometers to 100 nanometers.
Related information about quantum information with Nanodiamonds is shown on AFResearchLab's YouTube video below:
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