India Develops First Indigenous Quantum Diamond Microscope

In November 2025, India has developed its first indigenous Quantum Diamond Microscope (QDM) for dynamic magnetic field imaging — a major milestone in quantum sensing.

The breakthrough, achieved by the P-Quest Group at IIT Bombay under the National Quantum Mission (NQM), was announced during the Emerging Science Technology and Innovation Conclave (ESTIC 2025).

Key Points

Quantum Technology Basis: The QDM, uses nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond — atomic-scale defects that preserve quantum coherence at room temperature and are highly sensitive to magnetic, electric, and thermal variations.
ODMR-Based Magnetic Imaging: The device enables optical readouts of local magnetic fields through optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR), allowing 3D nanoscale magnetic field imaging with widefield visualization similar to an optical microscope.
Breakthrough for Multiple Fields: QDM technology has promising applications in neuroscience, materials science, semiconductor diagnostics, and the non-destructive evaluation of chips, where it can map buried current paths and multilayer structures in 3D.
Advantage Over Conventional Tools: With growing complexity in 3D chip architectures and cryogenic processors, traditional diagnostic tools struggle to capture subsurface magnetic activity. QDM offers a transformative, high-resolution solution for microelectronics, integrated circuits, and energy storage systems.
Future Integration with AI: Aligned with the National Quantum Mission, the team plans to integrate the QDM platform with AI and machine learning-based computational imaging for applications in chip analysis, biological imaging, and geological magnetization studies.