Element Six, a world leader in synthetic diamond supermaterials and part of the De Beers Group, is excited to reveal that its quantum diamond for room temperature MASER is a finalist in the optical device category of the Laser World of Photonics Innovation Award 2019.
Element Six pioneered the development of industrial, single crystal diamond using chemical vapour deposition (CVD), and this year is celebrating 15 years since the commercial launch of its single crystal material. Using state of the art CVD techniques, Element Six has been able to produce single crystal diamond with an optimised level of nitrogen-vacancy (NV) colour centres, with background defects below the part-per-million level. This breakthrough, in collaboration with Imperial College London and University College London, enabled the world’s first continuous-wave room temperature solid-state MASER. The device, which stands for ‘microwave amplification by stimulated emission of radiation’, is a microwave analogue of a laser.
Until now, the commercial use of MASERs has been limited as they can only operate at cryogenic temperatures. However, using the extraordinary quantum properties associated with the NV colour centre in diamond the team were able to demonstrate a MASER that operates continuously at room temperature. This breakthrough will enable MASER applications with higher power systems at smaller, more portable sizes where the diamond, which enables the application, has offered a unique performance that other materials are unable to achieve.
The quantum diamond for room temperature MASER innovation has opened up possibilities for the future, where synthetic diamond may be able to offer customers a wider choice of potential MASER applications, from timing systems through to low-noise amplifiers in radio telescopes. Advances such as this demonstrate the position of Element Six at the forefront of synthetic diamond innovation, with the unique properties of single crystal already being utilised for a range of applications in areas such as optics, electronics and machining.
Daniel Twitchen, Sales Director, CVD at Element Six, said: “We’re thrilled to have been selected as a finalist for the Laser World of Photonics Innovation Award. With 30 years’ experience of selling our engineered CVD diamond and 15 years of developing our single crystal range, this ground-breaking use of single crystal diamond helps to demonstrate our industrial leadership. We’re continually working to push the boundaries of synthetic diamond innovation, and we’re excited to showcase our ability to make highly impactful technical breakthroughs that benefit our customers.”
The winner of the Innovation Award 2019 will be announced at Laser World of Photonics in Munich on Monday 24th June.