Naval research laboratory takes a close look at unique diamonds
The song says that 'diamonds are a girl's best friend,' but scientists at the Naval Research Laboratory are finding that diamonds are a researcher's best friend too. NRL, which has been involved in pioneering work involving chemical vapour deposition of diamond and the use of diamond materials in advanced technologies relevant to the Department of Defence since 1987, has recently undertaken some new projects in diamond research. In collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution Museum of Natural History, NRL researchers have begun studying unique and historic natural coloured diamonds to understand and characterise the defects/impurities, which cause the colour. Many of the properties of diamond necessary for technology are impacted by defects and impurities present in the lattice. NRL has been complementing its studies of these defects and impurities in chemical vapour deposition diamond materials with its studies of natural diamonds at the Smithsonian...