ARKHANGELSK, February 24. /TASS/. A diamond synthesis laboratory was established at the Northern Arctic Federal University (NARFU) in Arkhangelsk, where scientists create diamonds from carbon gas that is deposited on a special substrate, and nitrogen is added to the diamond plates as they grow, Director of the university's Russian Arctic Scientific and Educational Center Marat Yeseev told TASS.

"We have got a new laboratory, a diamond synthesis laboratory. We are synthesizing diamonds by using the CVD method. This is chemical vapor deposition - chemical deposition from the gas phase. By using this method we can obtain a diamond lattice from carbon in the gas phase and which is deposited on the substrate in layers. Previously, we used diamond plates made in other centers, and we were upgrading them by implanting various elements. As for synthesis, it is very interesting for us, because we are experimenting with introducing nitrogen into these plates in layers during the growth stages. This increases their functional properties," the scientist said.

Nitrogen is introduced into synthetic diamond plates to create so-called NV centers (nitrogen vacancy centers, or nitrogen-substituted centers). The nitrogen atom knocks out the carbon atom, the crystal lattice structure gets disrupted, and the resulting vacancy binds to the nitrogen atom.

Resulting plates with NV centers can be used for quantum computing, to create relativistic optics for synchrotrons. In relativistic mechanics, particles move at speeds comparable to the speed of light. A synchrotron is an installation in which particles accelerate to such speeds. NV centers in a diamond plate make it very sensitive in the optical range to slightest changes in the electromagnetic field. Such elements with desired properties are needed to create ultra-precise sensors-magnetometers and devices for navigating the magnetic field.

"The method is that methane (CH4) and hydrogen are combined in plasma. As a result of the plasma reaction, atomic carbon is released from methane. Plus hydrogen, which is also supplied to the chamber, is used to "burn out" the graphitization centers from the diamond, making it cleaner and of higher quality. The thing is - graphite and diamond are relatives. In the conditions of growth, one accompanies the other," the scientist said explaining the diamond growing method.

The growth is not very fast - up to several microns per hour. Several dozen microns thick plates are grown specifically for the laboratory. "That's enough. We need thin layers to create these special centers in them," he added. The diamond growing plant will be upgraded so that scientists could connect to it a cylinder with ultrapure nitrogen.