QOLO and the Department of Optics organized a workshop Quantum Olomouc for high school students and their teachers. The event was held to celebrate the 100th anniversary of quantum mechanics and to spark curiosity, inspire young students, and raise their interest in quantum science.
Anežka Dostálová and Vojtěch Kala opened the event with the lecture From Hay Fever to Quantum Technologies: A Century that Changed Physics. Tomáš Opatrný provided broader historical context in his lecture Mysteries of Quantum Theory, addressing many of the open questions in quantum physics. The final lecture Trapped Atoms – from Microscopic Control of Matter to Breakthroughs in Quantum Engineering was given by Lukáš Slodička, who introduced experimental research on the light-matter interaction, how to trap individual atoms, the principles of the most advanced quantum processors and the most precise atomic clocks, and much more.
In the afternoon program, the students visited the QOLO labs in small groups. Miroslav Ježek guided them through the quantum optics lab, where they could observe quantum noise with their own eyes; Jaromír Mika gave them a tour in the light–matter interaction lab, where they could see trapped ions; Jaromír Běhal and Rebeka Zrníková explained modern microscopy techniques; and Vojtěch Kala with Tomáš Stískal prepared an interactive workshop How to Encode a Message into Light.
There was also plenty of opportunity to chat with the researchers and students of the Department of Optics, who offered fresh insight into both studies and physics in general. Among other things, the high schoolers were introduced to Schrödinger’s cat thought experiment and its consequences and relevance today, the principles by which quantum physics changes the color of LEDs, the topics recognized by recent Nobel Prizes in Physics, and many other fascinating themes. The entire program was accompanied by refreshments and a welcoming atmosphere.
The event was a part of the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology declared by UNESCO.
