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Originally treasured as a beautiful, symbolic and expensive gemstone, and later developed as an industrial work-horse, diamond is now entering a new realm of sensing applications that depend on its unique quantum characteristics.
Diamonds, one of the hardest materials on Earth, are so strong that they can protect fragile quantum states that would otherwise survive only in a vacuum or at ultra-cold temperatures. Engineers are mastering the art of growing diamonds with special properties and detecting their quantum spins — opening up a range of sensing applications in the life sciences and elsewhere.