Dr Jitendra Singh Unveils Quantum, Cryogenic Milestones at IIT Bombay

At the Quantum Research Laboratories, Dr. Singh was given a detailed demonstration of the nation’s rapidly growing quantum capabilities—an area central to India’s long-term scientific strategy.

Union Minister of State for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Dr Jitendra Singh, reaffirmed India’s commitment to advancing frontier technologies during his visit to IIT Bombay, where he inaugurated the Institute’s new Liquid Helium Facility and reviewed the country’s first series of indigenous quantum sensing and imaging platforms. The developments mark a pivotal stride in India’s emerging ecosystem of quantum science, cryogenics, advanced materials, biomedical innovation and next-generation computing.

Propelling India’s Quantum R&D: Minister Reviews Breakthrough Platforms

At the Quantum Research Laboratories, Dr. Singh was given a detailed demonstration of the nation’s rapidly growing quantum capabilities—an area central to India’s long-term scientific strategy.

QMagPI: India’s First Portable Quantum Magnetometer

Researchers presented QMagPI, a compact, high-precision device capable of detecting ultra-low magnetic fields in the nanotesla (nT) range. Built using NV (nitrogen-vacancy) centers in diamond, the magnetometer represents a leap for:

• Strategic and defence applications

• Mineral exploration

• Medical diagnostics and imaging

• Advanced scientific instrumentation

The Minister highlighted that the Department of Science & Technology (DST) played a vital role in supporting the platform’s development, enabling India to join a select group of nations with such quantum capabilities.

Quantum Diamond Microscope (QDM): A Revolution in Nanoscale Imaging

Dr. Singh also witnessed India’s first indigenous Quantum Diamond Microscope, developed by IIT Bombay’s PQuest Group. Leveraging NV centers, the QDM provides:

• 3D nanoscale magnetic field imaging

• Widefield mapping for neuroscience

• Tools for semiconductor diagnostics

• Material and geological research applications

With integrated AI/ML capabilities, this platform is poised to transform chip testing, biological imaging, electronics development and future quantum device design.

Q-Confocal System: Quantum Innovation Meets Healthcare

In a major step for quantum-enabled biomedical science, the Minister examined the Q-Confocal microscope, a fully indigenous system engineered to study intracellular processes using T₁ relaxometry of nanodiamonds.

The system demonstrated success in:

• Detecting Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) linked to early cancer indicators

• Studying U87-MG glioblastoma cells

• Analysing keratinocyte samples

• Measuring disease-related nanoscale changes

Dr. Singh called this convergence of quantum physics and medical diagnostics a powerful example of India's deep-tech potential in healthcare innovation.

A New Era in Cryogenics: Liquid Helium Facility Inaugurated

Following the quantum lab visit, Dr. Singh inaugurated IIT Bombay’s Liquid Helium Facility, calling it a national research asset that will accelerate advancements in:

• Superconducting quantum computing

• Cryogenic engineering

• MRI and biomedical imaging

• Photonics and advanced materials science

• Green energy device fabrication

Lowering Cryogenic Costs & Conserving a Scarce Global Resource

The facility includes a cutting-edge helium recovery and liquefaction system, which is expected to:

• Cut costs for cryogenic experiments by up to 90%

• Ensure sustainable use of liquid helium—a globally scarce resource

• Support widespread research across academia, industry and national labs

Dr. Singh noted that the facility will be open to universities, research institutes and industrial partners, strengthening India’s collaborative infrastructure.

Strengthening India’s Cryogenic Base for Quantum Computers

Emphasizing the global demand for quantum computing, Dr. Singh pointed out that dilution refrigerators, essential for operating quantum processors at 10 millikelvin (almost absolute zero), require robust cryogenic systems.

He said this facility lays the groundwork for India to eventually build indigenous dilution refrigeration units, a strategic capability aligned with technological self-reliance under Atmanirbhar Bharat.

Notably, the Minister highlighted that this cryogenic facility has not yet received DST funding, urging enhanced national collaboration to scale India’s cryogenic manufacturing capacity.

Advancing PM Modi’s Vision of Viksit Bharat Through Deep-Tech

Dr. Singh said the advancements at IIT Bombay reflect the nation’s rapid progress in:

• Quantum science

• Cryogenics

• Advanced materials and photonics

• Biomedical engineering

• Next-generation semiconductor research

These achievements, he said, are aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a Viksit Bharat by 2047, where scientific innovation and indigenous development power global competitiveness.

He emphasized that IIT Bombay’s work demonstrates how academia, government and industry can jointly build a world-class scientific ecosystem capable of creating technologies that shape the nation’s future.

Appreciation for IIT Bombay’s Researchers and Innovators

The Minister praised IIT Bombay’s teams for their pioneering work, congratulating researchers, faculty and students for their sustained contributions to India’s deep-tech landscape. He assured continued government support for breakthroughs across:

• Quantum technologies

• Cryogenics

• Healthcare innovation

• Strategic national missions

Dr. Singh reaffirmed that India is now firmly positioned to become a global leader in frontier science, driven by indigenous innovation and a rapidly maturing high-technology research ecosystem.