Quantum Design International, Inc. has finalized the acquisition of Basel-based hardware developer Qnami, marking its second corporate consolidation action of 2026. The transaction integrates Qnami’s proprietary diamond-based quantum sensing assets into Quantum Design’s global scientific instrumentation portfolio. The acquisition follows Quantum Design’s January 2026 procurement of the NanoScience division from Oxford Instruments, positioning the parent company to expand its manufacturing footprint across materials characterization, nanomagnetism, spintronics, and semiconductor device profiling markets.
Technical Architecture & Nitrogen-Vacancy Magnetometry
The acquisition brings Qnami’s specialized scanning probe microscopy (SPM) hardware and diamond-based sensor components under Quantum Design’s operational umbrella. The core technology leverages nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers—point defects embedded within a synthetic diamond lattice structure where a nitrogen atom replaces a carbon atom adjacent to a structural vacancy. By illuminating these microscopic NV centers with a green laser pump and monitoring the resulting photoluminescence under localized microwave radiation, the sensor functions as an atomic-scale magnetometer.
This quantum sensing technique isolates magnetic field fluctuations at the nanoscale, bypassing the spatial resolution limits of traditional magnetic force microscopy or superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs). The integrated cantilevers and NV diamond tips allow industrial semiconductor engineers and materials scientists to execute non-destructive, high-resolution stray field imaging of magnetic domain walls, topologized antiferromagnetic structures, and current density pathways inside multi-layered microchips without altering the electronic properties of the target substrate.
Corporate Realignment & Portfolio Integration
Following the final execution of the transaction, Quantum Design will coordinate the commercial scaling of Qnami’s existing scanning microscopes and component lines through its global distribution and application support network. Governed by Quantum Design CEO Stuart Schoenmann and Quantum Design – Europe CEO Dirk Haft, the operational merger will focus on co-developing integrated low-temperature, high-magnetic-field characterization suites. The consolidated engineering pipeline enables Qnami, led by CEO Mathieu Munsch, to merge its NV sensor fabrication methods with the cryogenic engineering and automation frameworks developed across Quantum Design’s worldwide research installations, accelerating product delivery to academic laboratories and national defense research hubs.
The official corporate acquisition brief can be accessed via the Quantum Design press repository here. To read the joint strategic statement outlining the long-term technology development roadmap and distribution framework, visit the official announcement page here.
June 3, 2026
