India Unveils Quantum Microscope & Cryogenic Facility to Advance Cancer Diagnosis

The Quantum Diamond Microscope and new cryogenic facility at IIT Bombay expand India's capabilities in nanoscale biomedical imaging, enabling high-precision cancer diagnostics and advanced research supported by the National Quantum Mission.

India has introduced its first indigenous quantum microscope alongside a new cryogenic facility at IIT Bombay, marking a significant upgrade in the nation’s scientific and diagnostic infrastructure.

The new platforms are intended to boost cancer diagnostics, advanced imaging research, and high-precision biomedical applications.

The quantum microscope, known as the Quantum Diamond Microscope (QDM), was developed by the P-Quest Group at IIT Bombay under the country’s National Quantum Mission (NQM). The imaging platform uses nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centres in diamond to enable three-dimensional, nanoscale magnetic-field imaging.

Prof Kasturi Saha, head of the P-Quest Group at IIT Bombay, said, “This microscope represents a leap for biomedical imaging in India - it gives us nanoscale resolution and quantum sensitivity that can transform how we detect structural and magnetic anomalies in cancer tissues.”

Alongside the QDM, the institute inaugurated a new cryogenic infrastructure, the Liquid Helium Facility, to support imaging techniques and instruments requiring ultra-low temperatures, such as advanced microscopy, superconductivity studies, and cryo-electron microscopy.

The quantum imaging and cryo facility, together, are expected to support a wide range of applications beyond oncology, including Neuroscience, materials research, semiconductor diagnostics, and next-generation biomedical device development.

Officials underscored that this development places India among a small league of countries with native quantum-enabled biomedical imaging infrastructure.

Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State for Science & Technology, praised the breakthrough and reaffirmed government support for translating deep-tech science into real-world applications. He noted that the investment supports the broader vision of making India a global leader in quantum technologies, advanced diagnostics and healthcare innovation.

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