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Scientists at North Carolina State University claim to have found a way to produce a unique form of carbon that is harder than diamonds.

The scientists published their findings in the Journal of Applied Physics and are calling the material Q-carbon, according to The New York Times.

The scientists claim they can create a carat of diamond in just 15 minutes. The new material would have numerous applications across industries, including medicine, technology, and construction. In addition to being harder than a diamond, Q-carbon is magnetic, fluorescent, and able to conduct electricity.

All these attributes mean that Q-carbon could be used to make better TVs and computers, synthetic body parts, and stronger tools like drills and other oil exploration equipment.

Q-carbon is made by concentrating an intense burst of light energy from a laser onto carbon which creates small diamonds. Because the process can be done at room temperature and with regular air pressure, it may also present another way to manufacture diamonds on a large scale. The current process, chemical vapor deposition, is much more labor and technologically intensive.

Scientists don't know if Q-carbon exists naturally in the universe, but one of the lead researchers Jay Narayan, speculated that it is possible for the material to be a component of the core of planets.

Promising as the new research is, other scientists, including the head editor of the Journal of Applied Physics said that it is now critical for other scientists to be able to replicate the findings of the researchers at North Carolina State University.