Visit to the Centre for Quantum Technologies

(Guest post by Mr Cheng Jue Fei.)

On 31 May 2022, the Singapore APhO/IPhO team was treated to an exclusive tour at the Centre for Quantum Technologies (CQT), located on the NUS campus. We were hosted by Professors Christian Kurtsiefer and Dzmitry Matsukevich, along with PhD students from their respective research groups, who took us on a fascinating tour of the quantum world.

At the telecommunications lab, we saw components in fibre optic setups that could be applied in quantum key distribution and communication. Another application of quantum physics was earthquake detection via a fibre optic network using interferometry.

The team also witnessed state of the art experiments with laser-cooled ytterbium ions suspended in an ion trap. Such ultracold traps could have possible applications as qubits to store information in a quantum computer.

In another lab, the focus was on atomic physics experiments. The principles of Doppler cooling a cloud of rubidium atoms were explained in detail by the knowledgeable hosts.

After the stimulating tour, the hosts and participants headed over to NUS University Town (UTown) to continue conversations over a sumptuous meal at Hwang’s Korean restaurant.