QuEST makes waves at the Great Exhibition Road Festival

The Great Exhibition Road Festival is an annual celebration of science and art that takes place across South Kensington in June.

This year, the Centre for Quantum Engineering, Science and Technology at Imperial brought quantum science to the festival with a range of activities, from a quantum disco to interactive art installations and cutting-edge tech demos.

Exploring all things Quantum

It's been a century since the development of quantum mechanics and in that time physicists and philosophers have attempted to explain how the mathematical theories that underpin quantum science correspond to reality. The many interpretations of quantum mechanics continue to spark debate and inspire research - similar to how artworks evoke a wide range of emotions and perspectives among different audiences. Both quantum scientists and artists attempt to bring understanding to the unseen. 

Recognising these shared themes, QuEST turned the tech zone at Queen’s Tower Rooms into a quantum art gallery. Imperial computer science alumnus and visual artist, Robin Baumgarten, showcased Quantum Jungle – a mathematically accurate interactive light installation that brought quantum objects to life. Studio Above&Below were also commissioned to showcase an immersive artwork based on research data from an atom interferometry experiment in physics, exploring quantum clocks though an audio-visual experience that captivated visitors. Felicity Inkpen, a physicist turned fine artist, displayed ‘Qubits, Duality,’ an oil painting inspired by superposition, probability, and possibility.

QuEST also joined the Victoria and Albert Museum to host a panel exploring the similarities of quantum science and art: the mysteries of entanglement, the power of resonance and the beauty of complex systems. Chaired by Dr Jess Wade, the panel brought together Professor Thomas Searles (University of Chicago), Professor Johnny Golding (Royal College of Art) and Daria Jelonek (Studio Above&Below). The panel discussed the power of art in introducing diverse audiences to the wonders of quantum without the need to explain literally. Audiences members asked questions on the parallels between the different materials platforms of quantum hardware, the different media used by artists and poets, and how scientists and engineers can make quantum principles more intuitive.

For younger audiences, QuEST partnered with London Centre for Nanotechnology (LCN) to turn the Goethe Institute into a family-friendly "quantum disco". Through carefully choreographed movement, children and their families explored quantum phenomena - like waves, particles, spin, coherence - through movement. Dancers also moved to the music of our quantum labs with Megan Grace-Hughes, LCN manager at King’s College London and master mixer, converting the sounds of lasers, vacuum pumps and oscilloscopes into soundscapes. The disco remained busy all weekend, showing that it’s never too early to become a quantum scientist.

In the tech zone, Imperial researchers also demonstrated Imperial’s mission to develop quantum for humanity. The SPIN Lab, one of Imperial’s state-of-the-art hubs for magnetic characterisation, explored spin-based quantum technologies and the techniques scientists use to understand and optimise them. Researchers from EntangleCam demonstrated their imaging device which uses quantum entanglement for faster, more accurate breast cancer detection, a technology the UK government aims to introduce in every NHS trust by 2030.

QT Soc, the student society for quantum technologies at Imperial, helped audiences of all ages decipher quantum terminology and quantum careers, and challenged them to games of quantum tic tac toe.

Step into the World of Quantum

QuEST is leading a year-long public engagement programme, as part of the UNESCO International Year of Quantum Science and Technology. Upcoming events include the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition and the British Science Festival, where our researchers will continue to explore how quantum science is shaping the world around us.

If you'd like to find out more about QEST, please visit our website or e-mail quantum@imperial.ac.uk.