IonQ Breakthrough in Synthetic Diamond Materials Accelerates Quantum Networking Scale and Production
Advancement marks pivotal move toward diamond-based quantum devices that will accelerate IonQ's roadmap toward scalable, fault-tolerant quantum systems
IonQ (NYSE:IONQ), the leader in the quantum computing and networking industries, today announced a significant breakthrough in creating essential hardware for building large-scale quantum networks and clustered compute. In collaboration with Element Six, a De Beers Group company specializing in synthetic diamond materials for industrial applications, the team has developed high-quality, quantum-grade diamond films. These films allow diamond-based devices to be made using standard semiconductor manufacturing techniques.
This advancement is crucial because synthetic diamonds are a key component for building quantum memory systems and the photonic interconnects that link individual quantum computing systems together. By making synthetic diamonds compatible with standard chipmaking processes, IonQ is accelerating the production of scalable quantum systems and moving toward manufacturing quantum networks and quantum compute devices at an industrial level.
"Foundry-compatible, quantum-grade diamond films change the game in photonic interconnects, compute processors, and quantum networking," said Niccolo de Masi, Chairman and CEO of IonQ. "This innovation will allow us to mass-produce consistent, high-performance systems designed for commercial quantum networks."
The addition of this new capability makes IonQ's quantum technology stack, including quantum interconnects and repeaters, foundry-compatible. Moreover, the ability to industrialize thin film quantum-grade diamonds opens new possibilities not just for IonQ's computing and networking roadmap, but also for adjacent fields such as quantum sensing.
"Synthetic diamond is one of the most promising platform materials for quantum technologies, with use-cases across the entire ecosystem, especially in sensing and networking," said Siobhán Duffy, CEO at Element Six. "These synthetic diamond thin films will enable at-scale fabrication of high performance devices."
The stringent material requirements for producing micro- and nano-structured devices previously limited fabrication to bespoke, R&D-scale techniques not viable for reliable, at-scale production. IonQ's new approach, enabled by Element Six's world-leading materials, overcomes this barrier by allowing the bonding of quantum-grade diamond films onto common substrates like silicon and silicon nitride. This unlocks two essential capabilities:
- Foundry Compatibility: For the first time, synthetic diamond quantum devices can be produced using the same tools and processes that power the $1 trillion semiconductor industry. This supports scalable production of diamond-based devices like quantum memories, sensors, and other microelectromechanical systems.
- Heterogeneous Integration: Synthetic diamond can now be incorporated into hybrid, on-chip systems that combine the best of quantum and classical materials, for example integrating diamond-based quantum memories alongside non-diamond-based devices, such as switches, modulators, and electronic control layers.
Today's announcement builds on the recent completion of IonQ's Lightsynq acquisition, and on IonQ's continued progress along its photonic interconnect roadmap. Integration of Lightsynq's photonic interconnect, quantum memory technologies, and its IP portfolio will accelerate IonQ's roadmap toward scalable, fault-tolerant quantum systems.
For more information, visit www.ionq.com. The research preprint is available on the arXiv.
About IonQ
IonQ, Inc. (NYSE:IONQ) is the leading commercial quantum computing and quantum networking company, delivering high-performance systems aimed at solving the world's most complex problems. IonQ's current generation quantum computers, IonQ Forte and IonQ Forte Enterprise, are the latest in a line of cutting-edge systems that have been helping customers and partners such as Amazon Web Services, AstraZeneca, and NVIDIA achieve 20x performance results.
The company is accelerating its technology roadmap and intends to deliver the world's most powerful quantum computers with 2 million qubits by 2030 to accelerate innovation in drug discovery, materials science, financial modeling, logistics, cybersecurity, and defense. IonQ's advancements in quantum networking also positions the company as a leader in building the quantum internet.
The company's innovative technology and rapid growth were recognized in Newsweek's 2025 Excellence Index 1000, Forbes' 2025 Most Successful Mid-Cap Companies list, and Built In's 2025 100 Best Midsize Places to Work in Washington DC and Seattle, respectively. Available through all major cloud providers, IonQ is making quantum computing more accessible and impactful than ever before. Learn more at IonQ.com.
About Element Six
Element Six, part of the De Beers Group, is a world-leader in the design, development and production of synthetic diamond advanced material solutions. The company operates worldwide with primary manufacturing facilities in US, UK, Ireland, Germany, and South Africa.
For seventy-nine years, Element Six has harnessed the extreme properties of synthetic diamond to open up new possibilities in areas such as photonics, acoustics, power transmission, water treatment, thermal management and sensors. The company's advanced material solutions are used in a wide range of applications across multiple industries including manufacturing in the automotive and consumer electronics industries, cutting and drilling in the oil and gas industry, and in components for mining, road, construction and agriculture applications.
IonQ Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Some of the forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking words. Statements that are not historical in nature, including but not limited to the terms "accelerating," "advancements," "building," "continues," "deepening," "delivering," "driving," "expanding," "growth," "intends," "intent," "ongoing," "optimizing," and other similar expressions, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements include those related to the IonQ's quantum computing capabilities and plans; IonQ's technology driving commercial quantum advantage in the future; the necessity, effectiveness, and future impacts of IonQ's offerings available today; and the scalability, fidelity, efficiency, viability, accessibility, effectiveness, importance, reliability, performance, speed, impact, practicality, feasibility, and commercial-readiness of IonQ's offerings. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections, and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this press release, including but not limited to: IonQ's ability to implement its technical roadmap; changes in the competitive industries in which IonQ operates, including development of competing technologies; IonQ's inability to attract and retain key personnel; or IonQ's ability to deliver, and customers' ability to generate, value from IonQ's offerings. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties disclosed in the Company's filings, including but not limited to those described in the "Risk Factors" section of IonQ's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and reports on Form 10-Q. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and IonQ assumes no obligation and does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. IonQ does not give any assurance that it will achieve its expectations.
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