Quantum explained: The fascinating world unlocking new scientific breakthroughs
Check out our quantum explainers to learn more about the intriguing quantum realm and how researchers at the Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory are advancing this field.
Quantum mechanics: Harnessing the unexpected
by Ali Sundermier
Quantum mechanics explains how the world works at the smallest scales, down to its subatomic building blocks. Often, objects at these scales behave in counterintuitive ways. Particles can be in superposition, a state that holds multiple possible outcomes, or can become so deeply connected through quantum entanglement that measuring one instantly reveals the other’s state, no matter how far apart they are. These unique behaviors are at the core of technologies like quantum computing, sensing and networking.
If you flip a coin in our everyday world, it will land on heads or tails. An electron’s spin also has two possible outcomes, spin up or spin down. But here's the quantum twist: While the coin will always be either heads or tails, the electron’s state is a superposition of both spin states until the spin is measured, at which point the superposition collapses into one definite outcome.
Quantum mechanics allows us to harness these intriguing properties to unlock new possibilities in science and technology. Quantum computers use these rules to solve complex problems faster, while quantum sensors detect tiny changes with incredible precision.
Head of the Quantum Devices Department in the Technology Innovation DirectorateEverything is quantum. The world we live in is driven by quantum mechanics, and we can take advantage of these principles for remarkable advancements
“Everything is quantum,” says SLAC scientist Paul Welander, head of the Quantum Devices Department in the Technology Innovation Directorate. “The world we live in is driven by quantum mechanics, and we can take advantage of these principles for remarkable advancements. What stands out to me about SLAC is our ability to manipulate and understand matter at its fundamental levels, which is critical for developing devices and technologies that exploit the quantum mechanical behavior of materials and circuits. We are world experts in detecting ultra-small quantities of energy and matter, equipped with the engineering capabilities to build groundbreaking instruments that push quantum technologies forward.”
SLAC science explained
