
Submitted by Vanessa Bismuth on Fri, 04/10/2024 - 11:40
The Cavendish Laboratory is excited to be the host of QuanTour, an exciting European outreach initiative celebrating the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology 2025.
QuanTour brings a cutting-edge quantum light source to 12 top laboratories working on quantum dots across Europe. It aims to provide insights into quantum communication research and promote public engagement with quantum science’s transformative potential. Cambridge is the 6th stop on the journey, marking its halfway point. Arriving directly from the Centre de Nanosciences et de Nanotechnologies in Paris, the light source will be hosted in Mete Atatüre’s and Dorian Gangloff’s labs until 18 October.
At the heart of the experience lies the quantum light source that produces single photons – the smallest quantity of light. “The quest of producing single photons keeps scientists around the world engaged. Here, these single photons are generated by a quantum dot – a tiny structure made of semiconductor material,” said Mete Atatüre, head of the Quantum Optical Materials and Systems Research Group and ‘QuanTour Hero’.
“Its size is just a few nanometres – think of it like the size of a tennis ball compared to the earth. The quantum dot is embedded in a bull’s eye-like structure, designed to get those photons out.”
At every lab along the QuanTour journey, hosting scientists are carrying out measurements on the quantum light source to check whether it is actually emitting individual photons.
“We also want to use this opportunity to give the public a peek behind the curtain at how quantum physicists work, and show how quantum technologies will lead to groundbreaking advancements in our society that will shake up our everyday life,” said Atatüre.
Follow QuanTour’s journey on Instagram, with the latest photos, exciting live measurements and more. ‘QuanTour heroes’ also delve deeper into quantum physics in the podcast 'Under the Microscope' presented by The Science Talk.
QuanTour is a project of the German Physical Society (DPG), organised by Dr Doris Reiter (TU Dortmund University, and Dr Tobias Heindel (TU Berlin University)
Watch the source arriving in Cambridge!