International Year of Quantum

The United Nations has declared 2025 the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ). Spearheaded by UNESCO, this global initiative is intended to raise awareness of quantum science by connecting its technical advancements with creative concepts to make this complex field more accessible to the general public. Throughout the year, Grainger engineers, physicists, and students will challenge understandings of the world by blending elements of quantum science with various artistic media, exhibitions, and events.

Illinois physics professor Smitha Vishveshwara, a member of the IYQ steering committee, notes that quantum science has reshaped our understanding of the universe and has transformed everyday life through technologies like semiconductors, lasers, and MRIs. One purpose of IYQ is to make complex quantum components accessible to the broader community. “This celebration, open to all, highlights the awe and wonder of the quantum world and underscores its fundamental role in who we are,” she said.

Please read on to learn how Grainger Engineering is celebrating IYQ this year.

Two Revolutions:
Smitha Vishveshwara’s Book Publication

March 17, 2025

Smitha Vishveshwara will publish her book, Two Revolutions: Relativity and Quantum Physics through Oxford University Press. This personal and scientific narrative traces the intellectual journeys of Smitha and her late father, renowned astrophysicist C.V. (Vishu) Vishveshwara, as they exchanged letters reflecting on the two most transformative revolutions in modern physics: Einstein’s theory of relativity and the quantum revolution.

The letters delve into the groundbreaking concepts of relativity, such as the merger of space and time and the warping of spacetime by gravity, which lead to phenomena like black holes and gravitational waves. Together, they explore the paradoxes and wonders of the quantum realm, from wave-particle duality to quantum entanglement.

A significant milestone in the narrative is the detection of gravitational waves in 2016, fulfilling Vishu’s long-held dream and affirming his early predictions on black hole ringdowns. Vishu passed away in 2017 before the book’s completion, but Smitha found solace in finishing their work, which had begun as a mutual exchange of knowledge.

Through personal anecdotes, philosophical musings, and a deep appreciation for the beauty of the universe, the book makes complex scientific ideas accessible to a broad audience. A local book launch will take place in April.

“THE VISHVESHWARAS
present introductions to each of the two major revolutions of their title at a level which should be accessible to readers with little or no previous exposure to either. Using simple examples or parallels from everyday life, the duo skillfully elucidates the conceptual novelty inherent in each of these two paradigm shifts...--Sir Anthony Leggett,Illinois Quantum and Condensed Matter Physicist, Nobel Laureatte

Valentine’s Day Quantum Messaging
at the Urbana Free Library 

February 15, 2025

Grainger physicists will host an interactive experience exploring quantum entanglement at the Public Quantum Network (PQN) node at the Urbana Free Library. Participants can send a Valentine’s message to a friend using entangled light particles, meaning they can affect each other regardless of the distance between them. In addition, attendees will have fun pairing up with strangers to manipulate the light particles in teams of two. Finally, physicists will guide participants through a Bell test, a key experiment in quantum mechanics that earned the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physics.

Physics professor Gina Lorenz says the Valentine’s Day quantum messaging activity is the latest in a series curated by the Public Quantum Network to promote the accessibility of quantum. “The PQN aims to enable everyone to participate in the development of new quantum technologies,” she said.

Quantum Voyages:
A Multidisciplinary Performance

April 19, 2025

A centerpiece of Grainger’s celebration will be the restaging of Quantum Voyages, conceived and scripted by Illinois faculty Smitha Vishveshwara and Latrelle Bright (Theatre) and first performed in 2018 at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts for the 80th birthday celebration of Illinois’ Nobel laureate Sir Tony Leggett. The restaging will feature the Nathalie Yves-Gaulthier Le Petit Cirque performers and new music composed by Stephen Taylor (Music).

The piece exemplifies how quantum physics can be communicated creatively, capturing the wonder and mystery of the quantum realm. Quantum Voyages follows two explorers, Terra and Akash, as they venture into the microscopic world of quantum mechanics. Guided by Sapienca, the spirit of knowledge, the voyagers navigate atomic landscapes and encounter quantum phenomena that defy human intuition. When certain challenges arise, quantum sages (real-life physicists) arrive to offer insights.

The performance will open in Anaheim, California as a special event in March and then at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts on April 19.

LabEscape: Quantum Salvation,
an Escape Room Puzzle

LabEscape, a science-themed interactive escape room located in the Digital Computer Lab and founded by Grainger physicist Paul Kwiat, will present the fourth and fifth chapters in the saga of fictitious renowned quantum physicist Professor Schrödenberg, a renowned quantum physicist

who has contracted a highly contagious virus that causes severe memory loss. Participants will attempt to find a cure, which will lie in the use of a quantum processor.

In 2025, Kwiat’s team will release a new mission, “Dark Matter Disaster,” in which participants must use quantum technologies to save the world from impending doom. These experiences feature a series of engaging puzzles incorporating real scientific phenomena designed to captivate and challenge participants, but no scientific background is needed to succeed – only curiosity, collaboration, and communication.

Connecting Quantum Science 
with a Global Audience

The Grainger College of Engineering will also participate in global events throughout 2025, including the UNESCO International Year of Quantum’s Opening Ceremony in Paris in February and the staging of Quantum Voyages at a large-scale IYQ-based event, QuantumFest, also co-organized by Vishveshwara, during the American Physical Society (APS) Global Physics Summit in Anaheim, California in March. LabEscape will also run all week at the conference, and earlier in the month at an IYQ public engagement event at California State University San Marcos. In addition, LabEscape will be open to the public during the International Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics in May in Long Beach, Calif.

The International Year of Quantum presents a unique opportunity to bridge the gap between the abstract world of quantum science and the broader public. Through literature, demonstrations, and performances, Grainger Engineering is leading the way in integrating art and science, showing that quantum physics is not just a field of technical achievement, but also an opportunity for artistic creativity that a general audience can explore. As the year unfolds, the fusion of quantum science and public engagement promises to spark new ways of thinking about one of the most exciting frontiers of modern science.

For Professor Vishveshwara, viewing and embracing scientific insights through the lens of humanity fosters a deeper connection with one’s place in the universe. “When this happens, a window opens into the sacred space of our profoundly united existence,” she said.