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Synthetic diamond is cultivated in a laboratory that simulates the natural formation of natural diamonds. There are no obvious differences in crystal structural integrity, transparency, refractive index, dispersion, etc. Synthetic diamond has all the excellent physical and chemical properties of natural diamonds, making it widely used in precision cutting tools, wear-resistant devices, semiconductors and electronic devices, low magnetic detection, optical windows, acoustic applications, biomedicine, jewelry and so on.

Application prospects of synthetic diamond

Cutting materials and ultra-precision machining Diamond is currently the hardest mineral in nature. In addition, it has high thermal conductivity, high wear resistance and chemical stability. These characteristics determine that diamond can also be a superior cutting material. Through artificially cultivated large single crystal diamond, ultra-precision machining can be further realized, which can reduce costs and improve technology.

Optical applications

Diamond has a high transmittance in the entire wavelength band from X-rays to microwaves and is an excellent optical material. For example, MPCVD single crystal diamond can be made into an energy transmission window for high-power laser devices, and can also be made into a diamond window for space probes. Diamond has the characteristics of thermal shock resistance, chemical corrosion resistance and mechanical wear resistance, and has been studied and applied in infrared window, microwave window, high-power laser window, thermal imaging system window, X-ray window and so on.

Application areas of quantum devices

Diamond containing nitrogen vacancy defects has unique quantum properties, can operate the NV color center with a specific beam at room temperature, has the characteristics of long coherence time, stable fluorescence intensity, high luminous intensity, and is one of the qubit carriers with great research value and prospects. A large number of research institutions have conducted experimental research around the NV color center, and a large number of research results have been achieved in the confocal scanning imaging of the NV color center, the spectral study of the NV color center at low temperature and room temperature, and the use of microwave and optical methods to manipulate the spin, and have achieved successful applications in high-precision magnetic field measurement, biological imaging, and quantum detection. For example, diamond detectors are not afraid of extremely harsh radiation environments and ambient stray lights, do not need to add filters, and can work normally at room temperature and high temperatures, without the need for an external cooling system like silicon detectors.

Acoustic application areas

Diamond has the advantages of high elastic modulus, low density and high strength, which is very suitable for making high-frequency, high-power surface acoustic wave devices, and is an ideal material for making high-fidelity acoustic devices.

Medical industry application areas

Diamond’s high hardness, high wear resistance, low coefficient of friction and good biocompatibility make it widely used in prosthetic joints, heart valves, biosensors, etc., and has become an indispensable and important material in the modern medical industry.

Jewelry applications

Synthetic diamond is comparable to natural diamond in terms of color, clarity, etc., and has obvious advantages in terms of production costs and prices. In 2018, the authority FTC included synthetic cultivated diamonds in the diamond category, and cultivated diamonds ushered in an era of substitution for natural diamonds. With the standardization and improvement of the grading standards for cultivated diamonds, the recognition of cultivated diamonds in the consumer market has increased year by year, and the global cultivated diamond industry has grown rapidly in the past two years. According to the tenth annual report of the global diamond industry jointly released by the American management consulting company and the Antwerp World Diamond Center, the total production of natural diamonds in the world in 2020 fell to 111 million carats, a decrease of 20%, and the production of cultivated diamonds reached 6 million to 7 million carats, of which 50% to 60% of the cultivated diamonds were produced in China using high temperature and high pressure technology, and India and the United States became the main production centers of CVD. With the addition of well-known diamond brand operators and authoritative appraisal and testing institutions at home and abroad, the development of the cultivated diamond industry has gradually standardized, consumer recognition has increased year by year, and cultivated diamonds have a large space for development in the jewelry consumer market.

In addition, the American company LifeGem has realized the “commemorative diamond” growth technology, using carbon from the human body as raw materials (such as hair, ashes) to make diamonds, in a special way to help family members express their love for lost loved ones, giving special significance to cultivated diamonds. Recently, Hidden Valley Ranch, a popular salad dressing brand in the United States, also hired Dean Vandenbisen, a geologist and founder of LifeGem, to make a two-carat diamond out of a condiment and auction it. However, these are all propaganda gimmicks and have no significance in promoting production on a large scale.

Ultra-wide bandgap semiconductor field

The previous application is easy for everyone to understand, and today I want to focus on the application of diamond in semiconductors. Scientists at lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in the United States published a paper in APL (Applied Physics Letters), the main idea is that high-quality CVD diamond can be used for “ultra-wide bandgap semiconductors” and will greatly promote the development of power grids, locomotives, and electric vehicles.

In short, the development space of synthetic diamond as jewelry is foreseeable, however, its scientific and technological application development is unlimited and the demand is considerable. From a long-term point of view, if the synthetic diamond industry wants to develop steadily in the long run, it must be developed into a necessity for life and production, and eventually applied in traditional industries and high-tech fields. Only by trying our best to develop its use value can we maximize its excellent performance. If traditional production continues, demand will continue. With the further development of diamond synthesis technology, its importance has been raised to the height of “national strategy” by some media. In today’s increasingly scarce and limited supply of natural diamonds, the synthetic diamond industry may carry this strategic banner.