Boron-doped diamonds pave new paths in quantum technology

The latest studies published in Nature Communications highlight new possibilities for using diamond semiconductors. Boron-doped diamonds can generate plasmons, paving the way for their use in advanced biosensors and optical devices at the nanoscale.

Diamonds are also excellent heat conductors renowned for their hardness and clarity. For this reason, they are used in thermal conductive pastes. With dopants like boron, diamonds can become semiconductors, making them attractive for high-power electronics and cutting-edge quantum optics. Scientists from Case Western Reserve University and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have discovered that boron-doped diamonds can generate plasmons — waves of electrons that move under the influence of light.

Plasmons in boron-doped diamonds allow for controlling and enhancing electric fields at the nanometer scale. This discovery may lead to developing new types of biomedical and quantum devices with higher efficiency than current technologies. These diamonds may be used in medical imaging, high-sensitivity biochips, and molecular sensors.

"Understanding how doping affects the optical response of semiconductors like diamond changes our understanding of these materials," said Mohan Sankaran, professor of nuclear, plasma, and radiological engineering at the Illinois Grainger College of Engineering, during a talk at 3:00 PM Eastern Time.

Plasmonic materials have been used for centuries, even before their scientific foundations were known. Medieval stained glass owes its colours to metal nanoparticles that generate plasmons. Due to their transparency and chemical inertness, boron-doped diamonds can be used in applications where other materials fail.

Despite being doped, these diamonds maintain transparency with a blue tint, making them unique among semiconductor materials.