Diamond Materials for Quantum Technology Applications

Great Lakes Crystal Technologies (GLCT) was launched in Summer 2019 with a mission to leverage over 30 years of advanced diamond technology development at Michigan State University (MSU) to become the leading US-based provider of semiconductor grade diamond materials. The companyĺs facilities currently consist of an R&D laboratory at the Van Camp Incubator space located just off MSU campus and a pilot production facility under construction in East Lansing, MI.á The proposed SBIR project builds directly off previous development programs funded, in part, by the Air Force Research Laboratory. The main purpose of the AFRL projects was to develop a complete process for synthesizing ensemble nitrogen vacancy (NV) center diamond for applications in magnetic field sensing. Diamond materials with embedded NV center defect complexes are an emerging materials class with great potential to enable a multitude of quantum technology applications including quantum computing, magnetic field sensing, scanning thermal microscopy, secure communications, and biological process imaging. One technological application of great importance is the use of nitrogen vacancy center diamond (NVD) as magnetometers that enable GPS-free navigation through a charting of the Earthĺs magnetic field. Quantum grade diamond (QGD) substrates are the platform on which NVD technologies are built. Development of a reliable source of high-quality substrates is essential for realizing the promise of NVD technologies. Quantum grade diamond is characterized by low nitrogen concentration, along with the other required traits of diamond material for quantum applications - low strain and low crystal warp. The primary objective of the proposed project is to increase the maturity level of GLCTĺs quantum diamond substrate manufacturing level to MRL 6. Accordingly, over the course of a simulated production period, we shall achieve a yield of (x6) quantum grade substrates per week per reactor in our pilot production facility. Successfully executing the project taskwork will result in a robust, self-sustaining manufacturing process at GLCT.