Development of a microwave plasma process to produce doped nanodiamonds

PROJECT COST:

315 000 $

PRIMA CONTRIBUTION:

157 140 $

PROJECT DETAILS:

Doped nanodiamonds offer remarkable potential for diverse quantum applications, thanks to their outstanding photostability and long spin coherence times at room temperature. Vacancy–impurity defects can be detected through photoluminescence, with their emission spectra displaying exceptional sensitivity to local environmental conditions such as temperature and electromagnetic fields.

A novel high-pressure microwave plasma source will be investigated for the synthesis of nanodiamonds in both the gas phase and the heterogeneous phase on substrates (e.g., silicon). The study will focus on elucidating the influence of plasma parameters on nanodiamond size and surface functionalization, and subsequently, their effect on spin coherence time. Comprehensive plasma and material characterizations will be conducted to enable precise control over the nucleation and growth mechanisms of nanodiamonds.

The company PLASMIONIQUE is already involved in projects focused on the development of doped diamond at the wafer scale for applications in quantum technology. Equipped with the necessary plasma technology, PLASMIONIQUE seeks to leverage its expertise and capabilities to develop various physical forms of diamond.

The advantage for Québec and Canada will be to have a local company capable of producing the fundamental material required for the development of devices based on quantum technologies. The various forms of doped nanodiamond could greatly facilitate its integration into a range of devices, and the company KYNZE will test sensor prototypes based on the nanodiamonds synthesized in this project.