Element Six, whose global innovation centre is based on Harwell Campus, has launched its first commercially-available, general-purpose chemical vapour deposition (CVD) quantum grade diamond, DNV-B1™.

DNV-B1™ is a significant tool in the armoury of quantum researchers, containing optimised nitrogen vacancy defects that will lower the barriers for the adoption of diamond in research and development, unlocking a new generation of diamond-enabled quantum technologies.

It is the first solution in Element Six’s new DNV™ Series, and an ideal starting material for those interested in researching nitrogen-vacancy (NV) ensembles for quantum demonstrations, masers, detection of RF radiation, gyroscopes, sensing and further projects.  Building on the company’s extensive experience and a unique, patented process to develop bespoke CVD diamond solutions, DNV-B1™ is the first widely-available, general-purpose quantum grade material.

On its usefulness as a tool to unlock next generation quantum technologies, Dr Daniel Twitchen, Chief Technologist, commented: “I find it remarkable that these perfectly imperfect diamonds offer so many opportunities in quantum-enabled applications. The field of synthetic diamond is moving quickly, but by working with its global network and leveraging its R&D heritage, Element Six has optimised synthesis and post-synthesis processing with control at the part-per-billion level.”

Element Six is no stranger to disruptive innovation, with a team who pioneered the development of single crystal diamonds in the early 2000s. With production facilities in the UK and California, the company has been at the forefront of a range of new developments in CVD diamond synthesis and its associated applications in industry.

Working closely with a network of global collaborators, Element Six’s engineered diamond research has already accelerated the delivery of many breakthroughs in quantum research. One particularly prominent case in 2015 marked a significant step forward towards a quantum-secure enabled network when, alongside Delft University of Technology, Element Six material proved for the first time that ‘spooky action at a distance’ is real.

The company is one of many working on quantum research on Harwell Campus, with the UK’s National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC) launched on campus in September.