India has marked a pivotal moment in its scientific and technological journey with the successful development and unveiling of its first indigenous Quantum Diamond Microscope (QDM). This groundbreaking achievement was announced at the Emerging Science Technology and Innovation Conclave (ESTIC 2025) on November 13, 2025. The QDM, a product of intensive research by the P-Quest Group at IIT Bombay, represents a significant leap forward in quantum sensing and instrumentation.
The indigenously developed QDM is an advanced quantum sensing device that utilizes nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond to detect minute magnetic fields with remarkable precision. These NV centers are atomic-scale defects within a diamond lattice, where a nitrogen atom sits adjacent to a missing carbon atom. Crucially, these centers maintain quantum coherence even at room temperature, making them exceptionally sensitive to magnetic, electric, and thermal variations. The system employs Optically Detected Magnetic Resonance (ODMR), where the spin-dependent fluorescence of NV centers changes in the presence of magnetic fields, enabling real-time, widefield, and three-dimensional magnetic field imaging at the nanoscale.
Led by Professor Kasturi Saha, the P-Quest Group's innovation holds immense potential across various critical sectors:
- Neuroscience and Brain Research: The QDM can map real-time magnetic activity in neurons and brain tissues, offering a non-invasive route to understanding brain signaling and disorders with unprecedented resolution.
- Semiconductor and Chip Design: With the increasing complexity of 3D chip architectures and cryogenic processors, conventional diagnostic tools often struggle to visualize complex current flows and multilayer structures. The QDM provides direct, high-resolution 3D magnetic mapping of integrated circuits, microelectronics, and encapsulated chips without dismantling them, which is vital for non-destructive testing and performance assessment.
- Materials Science and Battery Diagnostics: It can trace ionic movement, phase transitions, and magnetic signatures within layered or encapsulated structures, aiding in the development of advanced materials and battery technologies.
This breakthrough is a significant boost for India's National Quantum Mission (NQM), an initiative launched by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) to foster indigenous research and development in quantum technologies. The QDM not only strengthens India's capabilities in quantum sensing but has also secured the nation's first patent in the domain of quantum magnetic imaging, marking a critical step towards quantum self-reliance. The team plans to further integrate QDM technology with AI and machine learning-based computational imaging to expand its applications into biological imaging, geological magnetization studies, and advanced chip diagnostics.