A diamond quantum gyroscope, which is being developed by students of the Tomsk State University, is being tested for future Russian drones.
During the work of the acceleration program of the federal project "Platform for University Technological Entrepreneurship", they came up with a device that is ten times more sensitive than most of the existing gyroscopes for UAV navigation in space.
As RIA "Novosti" reports, referring to the press service of the National Technological Initiative (NTI), existing microelectromechanical systems in gyroscopes based on vibration sensors are quite large in size and cannot withstand electromagnetic radiation. The development of Tomsk students will make the device more compact, cheaper, more wear-resistant and more resistant to radiation and electromagnetic radiation.
The gyroscope will be based on a diamond with specific color centers (these are defects in the diamond lattice that enable the absorption of optical radiation; if the diamond is transparent, then it does not absorb radiation). Unlike other semiconductors, diamond has a higher thermal conductivity, resistance to aggressive environments, and radiation.
The new development has no name yet and is undergoing experiments related to the testing of theories about the operation of the device. It is assumed that the diamond gyroscope will be able to operate even in space.