Scientists are testing Diamonds for use with Quantum Computers as they apparently can be stretched to possibly enable room temperature Quantum CPUs

[WillyW]

Summary

Scientists have been working with diamonds to test to see if they can be stretched and state that the heat and electrical conductivity would make them an ideal fit for Quantum QBits and or photons.

 

Quotes

Quote

 What they did — The team fabricated several diamond samples in the lab and used their tiny battering ram to see how they would respond to different levels of strain coming at them from different angles. They then used transmission electron microscopy to peer into the diamonds' crystalline structure, and see how they were changed by the assault.

 

What they discovered — After subjecting their tiny crystals to a fair amount of poking and prodding, the researchers found they could reliably achieve between 6.5 and 8.2 percent strain with full recovery of the form when pushed from three different directions. Overall, they observed a maximum strain of 9.7 percent, which the authors report is very close to the ideal elastic limit for a material like this.

 

Intriguingly, they found increased strain on these diamonds resulted in a corresponding decrease in internal energy — transforming them into a direct-bandgap superconductor — a characteristic which will ultimately play an important role in enabling these materials to be incorporated into microelectronic mechanical systems, including light or quantum-based electronics.

 

My thoughts

The article leaves out several important details and items. For starters you will notice that the picture shows a scale of 500nm with the strands about half that matching it to about Pentium II level transistor size, they do state in the article that it was about 100nm which would put it somewhere in the Pentium III to Pentium M size. That begs the question as to how exactly they got the diamonds to that size, acid, high energy? Also, previously it was shown that diamonds were not exactly electrically as conductive as silicon as silicon is doped with either more or less electron atoms (N , and P type doping). This might just be purely for research purposes but given the current climate it would make sense for researchers to keep these details close to their chest as knowledge of a new way to manufacture chips would be quite valuable. I have many questions, forgot a few of them.

 

Another thought, I'm assuming that they like the stretching component of the material because naturally under different heating conditions different parts of the chip will get hotter and others will be cooler. This was shown to be something that needs to be engineered for with the whole Nvidia 'bumpgate' controversy in 2009-2010 which ended up causing Apple and Nvidia to break up because Nvidia designed a sloppy GPU chip that would break the solder balls underneath the GPU with normal use.

 

Sources

Inverse Article - Sarah Wells 31DEC20

 

Reference:

Nvidia Bumpgate

[RejZoR]

Well, no one thought 70 years ago that we'll ever have supercomputers (for those times) in our pockets. Back then computers were measured in tons and how many rooms they've taken up and not in compute power. Quantum computers at room temperatures will happen. I mean, just look how radical transition was from mechanical computers to tube based computers to semiconductor based computers we still use today. It just will happen. There will be a mid point where home quantum computers will cost a fortune just like first transistor based ones did and they'll still require a cascade cooler to operate, but with time we'll get rid of that too as we figure things out and use different materials... I'm even predicting it'll happen in our lifetimes.

[Video Beagle]

But will they be able to run Crysis or Cyberpunk?

[cj09beira]

3 hours ago, RejZoR said:

Well, no one thought 70 years ago that we'll ever have supercomputers (for those times) in our pockets. Back then computers were measured in tons and how many rooms they've taken up and not in compute power. Quantum computers at room temperatures will happen. I mean, just look how radical transition was from mechanical computers to tube based computers to semiconductor based computers we still use today. It just will happen. There will be a mid point where home quantum computers will cost a fortune just like first transistor based ones did and they'll still require a cascade cooler to operate, but with time we'll get rid of that too as we figure things out and use different materials... I'm even predicting it'll happen in our lifetimes.

i think photonics will prevail over time, with quantum maybe as a accelerator 

[Mark Kaine]

"Guys, sand is too expensive, we need something that's cheaper and runs cooler." 

 

... 

 

 

"Diamonds!" 

 

 

[StDragon]

3 minutes ago, Mark Kaine said:

"Guys, sand is too expensive, we need something that's cheaper and runs cooler." 

 

... 

 

 

"Diamonds!" 

 

Depending on the applications and the requirements to fulfill them, diamonds are cheap. It's nothing more than a group of carbon atoms arranged in a specific crystalline lattice (called the 'diamond lattice'). They can be synthetically made through compression or vapor deposition.

 

When it comes to the consumer market, specifically jewelry, Diamonds are made up of the four 'C's: Cut, Color, Clarity, and Carat. Those four attributes, along with De Beers manipulating that market segment, is why those are expensive.

[Doobeedoo]

Ahh yes, casually having diamond based chips

[WereCatf]

4 hours ago, Video Beagle said:

But will they be able to run Crysis or Cyberpunk?

I know you meant that as a joke, but the answer is: no. That's not how quantum - computers work; they produce a massive numbers of solutions to an equation, they do not process logic.

[WereCatf]

43 minutes ago, StDragon said:

Depending on the applications and the requirements to fulfill them, diamonds are cheap. It's nothing more than a group of carbon atoms arranged in a specific crystalline lattice (called the 'diamond lattice'). They can be synthetically made through compression or vapor deposition.

 

When it comes to the consumer market, specifically jewelry, Diamonds are made up of the four 'C's: Cut, Color, Clarity, and Carat. Those four attributes, along with De Beers manipulating that market segment, is why those are expensive.

Indeed. De Beers, from what I've read, buys up all the stock of artificial diamonds they can just so they can lock it all up in vaults in an effort to control supply and thus the price. We'd be quite literally swimming in diamonds otherwise; they are neither difficult or expensive to produce anymore even in large quantities.

[StDragon]

5 minutes ago, WereCatf said:

Indeed. De Beers, from what I've read, buys up all the stock of artificial diamonds they can just so they can lock it all up in vaults in an effort to control supply and thus the price. We'd be quite literally swimming in diamonds otherwise; they are neither difficult or expensive to produce anymore even in large quantities.

 In the past, "fake" diamonds were cubic zirconia; which is not the same lattice as a real diamond. But now, anyone can make a real diamond with vapor deposition to "grow" a diamond. Most likely vapor deposition is how they will create these chips.

 

With regards to consumer market diamonds, De Beers controls the market with marking the stones via a laser etched serial number. You know, to be "authentic" (branding). Also, cutting the stones does require skill and is labor intensive, so that's a big factor too. But for industrial uses, you don't need them to be large or precise. In fact, most diamonds in use are of the dust type embedded in the tips of cutting blades and wellhead bits.

[leadeater]

1 hour ago, WereCatf said:

Indeed. De Beers, from what I've read, buys up all the stock of artificial diamonds they can just so they can lock it all up in vaults in an effort to control supply and thus the price. We'd be quite literally swimming in diamonds otherwise; they are neither difficult or expensive to produce anymore even in large quantities.

Not fake, real diamonds. Early 1900's diamonds didn't have much value at all and other coloured gem stones garnered far higher prices. De Beers went around and brought up all the diamond mines and mining rights and the international distribution then massively restricted the market. But the real genius was what he did after that, to date the most effective advertising campaign ever unlikely to be surpassed, "Diamonds are forever". He and is advertising team managed to associate diamonds with love and marriage while at the same time convincing everyone that they are extremely rare therefore precious and expensive. Diamonds are about as rare as coal (ok more so but not much more lol).

 

Spoiler

Speaking of coal, this gave me a brilliant idea. "Coal is forever", coal wedding rings for all!

 

As to the topic I wonder how hard it will be to actually apply this to fabrication of super conductors and other applicable uses in industry. Maybe it possible to grow the diamonds in a prestress state somehow which might make larger scale manufacturing possible???

[WereCatf]

2 minutes ago, leadeater said:

Not fake, real diamonds.

Did you intend to quote someone else? I never said anything about fake diamonds.

[StDragon]

3 minutes ago, leadeater said:

 Diamonds are about as rare as coal (ok more so but not much more lol).

  Hide contents

Speaking of coal, this gave me a brilliant idea. "Coal is forever", coal wedding rings for all!

 

As to the topic I wonder how hard it will be to actually apply this to fabrication of super conductors and other applicable uses in industry. Maybe it possible to grow the diamonds in a prestress state somehow which might make larger scale manufacturing possible???

While morbid, LifeGem will take the ashes of remains and create a diamond. Actually, that's kind of cool. But, I'm not sure I want someone's soul-stone haunting me. 

 

Anyways, yeah, the point is once you have carbon, you can manipulate it all sorts of different ways, including making diamonds. 

 

[leadeater]

3 minutes ago, WereCatf said:

Did you intend to quote someone else? I never said anything about fake diamonds.

Fake, artificial , same thing. De Beers is in the business of the "real thing". Grown diamonds are referred to as fake diamonds as well, by the gem stone market, because they are too prefect and easily spotted when inspected.

[WereCatf]

1 minute ago, leadeater said:

Fake, artificial , same thing.

No, not the same thing. An artificial diamond is a man-made one, not a fake one -- two different things.

[leadeater]

2 minutes ago, WereCatf said:

No, not the same thing. An artificial diamond is a man-made one, not a fake one -- two different things.

Yes but in the gem stone world artificial is a fake diamond and you'll never get one certified as a gem stone. Unless it came out of the ground from a mine it's fake, to them. This stance is mandatory for their market to survive. 

[Tan3l6]

I like diamonds...

[WereCatf]

1 minute ago, leadeater said:

Yes but in the gem stone work artificial is a fake diamond and you'll never yet one certified as a gem stone.

Well, that's not anyway what I was referring to. I specifically used the term "artificial" in the sense of it being man-made, not in the sense of it being fake.

[StDragon]

Just now, leadeater said:

Yes but in the gem stone work artificial is a fake diamond and you'll never yet one certified as a gem stone.

"Certified"

 

You know, no matter how certified a gem stone is, the resell market is horrible. I mean, the buy-back for cash is awful. But, a trade-up for another more expensive De Beers diamond, no problem.

 

I feel for any man that has to be caught up into that trap. You have my feelz!

[leadeater]

2 minutes ago, WereCatf said:

Well, that's not anyway what I was referring to. I specifically used the term "artificial" in the sense of it being man-made, not in the sense of it being fake.

Yes but if you go back and read my reply, De Beers is in the business of real diamonds, not fake, not artificial or anything else that didn't come from the ground through their exclusive control.

 

De Beers has zero interest in artificial diamonds other than to discredit them and insure they hold no value as a gem stone.

 

Edit:

What you mentioned was correct other than the part being artificial.

[Bombastinator]

1 hour ago, WereCatf said:

Indeed. De Beers, from what I've read, buys up all the stock of artificial diamonds they can just so they can lock it all up in vaults in an effort to control supply and thus the price. We'd be quite literally swimming in diamonds otherwise; they are neither difficult or expensive to produce anymore even in large quantities.

While they do do this as well as other things everything is relative.  Is gem diamonds an artificial market?  Sure.  One of the most egredgious examples is diamond head national park, which was turned into a park specifically to stop its being turned into a diamond mine not controlled by de beers.  That diamonds are artificially expensive though doesn’t mean the energy needed to create them is exactly cheap.  I don’t know which is cheaper, creating the ultra pure silicon wafers necessary to make silicon computer chips, or artificial diamonds.  The silicon wafers are arguably not at all cheap though.

[Taf the Ghost]

1 hour ago, Bombastinator said:

While they do do this as well as other things everything is relative.  Is gem diamonds an artificial market?  Sure.  One of the most egredgious examples is diamond head national park, which was turned into a park specifically to stop its being turned into a diamond mine not controlled by de beers.  That diamonds are artificially expensive though doesn’t mean the energy needed to create them is exactly cheap.  I don’t know which is cheaper, creating the ultra pure silicon wafers necessary to make silicon computer chips, or artificial diamonds.  The silicon wafers are arguably not at all cheap though.

Grown diamonds aren't expensive. Some clever chemist finds a new way to grow them every couple of years. Personal favorite was using peanut butter.

 

However, grown diamonds for mass-scale industrial use is unknown. They already grow diamonds for industrial lasers and I'm sure other applications, it's just not a market with huge volumes. We probably wouldn't know what the costs at scale would be until someone tried to do it. That said, I don't really think Quantum Computing, as practiced currently, holds much utility outside of the server space.

[StDragon]

1 hour ago, Bombastinator said:

I don’t know which is cheaper, creating the ultra pure silicon wafers necessary to make silicon computer chips, or artificial diamonds.  The silicon wafers are arguably not at all cheap though.

Creating the silicon monocrystal and slicing it up into wafers isn't the expensive part; it's the design and lithography steps that raise the cost. Those optical machines are the pinnacle of high technology!!

 

as with most things in the world of production, the most amazing thing is not what product is made but rather how it's made. 

[leadeater]

3 minutes ago, StDragon said:

Creating the silicon monocrystal and slicing it up into wafers isn't the expensive part; it's the design and lithography steps that raise the cost. Those optical machines are the pinnacle of high technology!!

 

as with most things in the world of production, the most amazing thing is not what product is made but rather how it's made. 

All of these and also keeping the place clean, while maybe not quite as expensive as the storage of the Hubble Space Telescope was ($14 million per month, was in storage for years btw) it'll be damn expensive, I'd be afraid to guess.

[StDragon]

56 minutes ago, leadeater said:

All of these and also keeping the place clean, while maybe not quite as expensive as the storage of the Hubble Space Telescope was ($14 million per month, was in storage for years btw) it'll be damn expensive, I'd be afraid to guess.

A sealed enclosure displaced with 100% nitrogen gas (inert) at one atmosphere sea level (14.7 psi). DONE!

Why do people have to make things so complicated??!