Amazon and De Beers join forces to grow diamonds to revolutionize computer networks

Amazon Inc has teamed up with a unit of De Beers Group to produce artificial diamonds, which is aimed at revolutionizing computer networks with the help of these custom-made gems. 

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The Element Six division of De Beers will be working on the project with the Amazon Web Services' Center for Quantum Networking, which focuses on developing new-generation ways to securely transmit data over long distances as part of its search for next-generation technologies.

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A quantum network uses subatomic matter to transmit data in a way that is far more advanced than the fiber-optic networks we are used to today. If the diamonds are used as part of a component, this will enable the data to travel farther without breaking down due to their durability. 

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This new form of information, known as qubits, is unable to be handled by conventional signal repeaters. There is a possibility that this equipment could be connected to the networks used by AWS, a cloud computing company that accounts for the majority of Amazon's profit because it provides cloud computing services over the internet.

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"It is our goal to make these quantum networks available on AWS," explained Antia Lamas-Linares, who runs the Center for Quantum Networking. There are estimates that the technology will be in use within "years rather than decades" rather than decades.

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The company handles a considerable portion of the world's computing and information storage, so it's essential that it stays ahead of any technological developments that could give it an edge over its competitors, which include Microsoft Corp. and Alphabet Inc.'s Google.

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With Element Six, they are hoping to find a new application for the industrial diamond, which is valued for its hardness and ability to be used as a lens. It could be a significant advantage to use them in quantum computing - a nascent technology that promises to make data more secure - in the future.

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If quantum networking were to be widely used, a massive amount of components would be required, including diamonds with specialized properties. There have been recent announcements by Element Six that they have opened a plant in Oregon that is capable of producing as many as 2 million units of such a component a year using a method called chemical vapor deposition. 

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Carbon is the element that makes up diamonds as it is the solid form of this element. Known for its hardness and thermal conductivity, it is also one of the most abundant materials in nature due to its crystal structure. Furthermore, diamonds are also naturally infused with a small number of impurities, such as nitrogen atoms, which gives them their distinctive color.

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In fact, those impurities can actually be an asset for diamonds that are manmade. There is an ability to create gems with exactly the same impurities, and shape them to align in the same way, so they can work as repeaters in a quantum-based network if they are created with exactly the same impurities.

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In the long run, they could also contribute to broader adoption of quantum computing as well. As Amazon researchers have explained, such equipment will be needed to connect computers that are using the same technology, allowing networks of quantum computers - long the stuff of science fiction - to become a reality.