Australia leading the charge in quantum diamond manufacturing with $13m government funding

The Australian government is taking the lead on the creation of “quantum diamonds” with the provision of significant new funding to a local firm.

The federal government-backed National Reconstruction Fund (NRF) is allocating $13 million to ensure quantum diamonds for use in the computing sector will soon bear the ‘Made in Australia’ sticker.

NRF has granted the funding to Canberra-based Quantum Brilliance (QB) in support of the company’s bid to deliver a quantum leap in Australia’s manufacturing capability.

Quantum diamond foundry

Federal Minister for Industry and Science Ed Husic said the government is supporting QB’s plan to build Australia’s first quantum diamond foundry.

Lab-grown diamonds are the key component of QB’s quantum accelerators, which enable the precise fabrication of qubits that power computers and sensors.

QB has developed quantum accelerators which differ from other mainframe computers by leveraging synthetic diamonds to run at room temperature in any environment.

This removes the need for large, expensive and energy-intensive refrigeration units to keep quantum bits, or qubits, stable.

Increased speed and power

The developers say quantum technologies will usher in a new generation of computers that will be thousands of times faster and more powerful than those currently available.

Mr Husic said the technologies have significant potential uses in national security, aerospace, healthcare, transport, civil engineering and mining industries.

He added that the funding will enable QB to manufacture its diamond technology in Australia, delivering more highly skilled jobs and strengthening the nation’s position as a significant player in the global quantum technologies supply chain.

Everyday devices

Analysts forecast that Australia’s quantum technology industry could be worth $6 billion and employ close to 20,000 Australians by 2045.

QB chief executive officer and co-founder Mark Luo said the NRF investment would accelerate the company’s vision of integrating quantum diamonds into everyday devices.

“This will solidify Australia’s position as a global leader in quantum technology and create critical supply chains for the future.”