In movies, quantum science is usually associated with chalkboards covered in equations. To some extent, this kind of abstraction is unavoidable: Quantum phenomena often involve behavior at scales that cannot be seen directly, and that do not match everyday intuition.
Thorlabs, a world-leading provider of optical equipment, donated tools that allow students to experiment with the quantum properties of light. (Credit: Bella Ciervo)
But, at least for Penn Engineering undergraduates, that’s now changing, thanks to a new suite of quantum teaching tools, including research-grade equipment donated by Thorlabs, a world-leading manufacturer of optical and scientific devices based in New Jersey.
“Hands-on experience fundamentally changes how students internalize quantum concepts,” says Lee Bassett, Associate Professor in Electrical and Systems Engineering (ESE) and Director of the Penn Center for Quantum Information, Engineering, Science and Technology (QUIEST). “It’s quite uncommon, if not unprecedented, for undergraduates to have access to this type of equipment in a course dedicated to experimental quantum science.”
In a recent conversation, Bassett and Anthony Sigillito, Assistant Professor in ESE, who was recognized this year by students for excellence as a research mentor, described how the new equipment is helping Penn Engineering make quantum science more engaging and accessible.
