So what exactly is quantum science? According to the Australian Institute of Physics, the laws of quantum mechanics, established in 1925, have allowed humanity to explore nature at the subatomic scale, where fundamental particles behave as both waves of energy and particles of matter.
“We can observe gravity in the fall of an apple. We can see the spectrum of visible light with a prism. Observing the subatomic world is harder but one hundred years ago we opened the door to a new understanding of the natural world,” says the Institute.
These rules have enabled us to start to understand how light, electrons and atoms behave leading to many inventions including:
• The LEDs that light our homes and our TV screens in the 21st Century
• The lasers that scan our groceries and correct our vision
• The microchips at the heart of every smartphone, computer and modern car
• The medical imaging devices that have saved countless lives in the fight against cancer and other diseases
• The solar panels and batteries that will enable us to live at net zero
The Australian Institute of Physics says Australia is at the forefront of the race to develop new quantum technology that will enhance our lives.
“We’re developing navigation systems that don’t require satellites. We’re creating miniaturised sensors that can detect disease, monitor metal fatigue and find critical minerals. We’re inventing cheaper and more efficient solar and battery technologies, and racing to create quantum computers,” it says.
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What is quantum science?
New Scientist defines quantum science as “our best basic picture of how particles interact to make the world”.
“It’s the physics that explains how everything works: the best description we have of the nature of the particles that make up matter and the forces with which they interact,” the magazine says.
“Quantum physics underlies how atoms work, and so why chemistry and biology work as they do. You, me and the gatepost – at some level at least, we’re all dancing to the quantum tune.
“If you want to explain how electrons move through a computer chip, how photons of light get turned to electrical current in a solar panel or amplify themselves in a laser, or even just how the sun keeps burning, you’ll need to use quantum physics.”
How did quantum science develop?
Quantum science started to develop in the late 19th century and early 20th century when scientists began exploring ‘the smallest particles – quanta’. A photon is a quanta of light, and an electron is a quanta of electricity.
They realised that these quanta have discrete energies, jumping between levels. At a human scale things change gradually. At the atomic or quantum scale, things jump from one level of energy to another.
Pioneers of these ideas included the likes of Albert Einstein, Niels Bohr and Max Planck. By 1925, these quantum ideas came together in quantum mechanics – rules that describe the quantum world, including the work of Paul Dirac, Heisenberg and his uncertainty principle, Schrodinger and his cat.
What’s happening during the Quantum Year?
The Australian Institute of Physics wants everyone to better understand quantum science, and for young people to retain maths and physics at school to get jobs in quantum fields.
So during the Quantum Year there are various events and initiatives planned with the purpose of educating, inspiring and celebrating achievements in quantum science and technology.
To find out more about plans in Australia for the Quantum Year, register events and get involved, visit quantum2025.org.au.
