University of Waterloo students work on a research project using quantum technology tools to build better long-distance sensing techniques in the labs at the Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC) © Courtesy of Let’s Talk Science
By John Donohue and Fiona Thompson, Institute for Quantum Computing, University of Waterloo
Over the past century, quantum science has dramatically reshaped our understanding of light and matter. Exploring quantum science has explained how atoms stick together, predicted when they won’t, and made us question what words like “wave” and “particle” really mean. The United Nations proclaimed 2025 the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology to celebrate the impact of quantum science, but it’s easy to get the impression that quantum isn’t part of our day-to-day life. In reality, many of the tools of the modern age are only possible thanks to quantum mechanics, and scientists around the world are building new technologies that help us see what’s really going on at the quantum scale.
Quantum clocks and world maps
The global positioning system, or GPS, is a tool that has transformed how we navigate—and it relies on quantum mechanics. To find our location, GPS measures how long it takes to send a signal to a collection of satellites in space. The accuracy of the measurement depends on how well we can measure this time difference. It needs to be more accurate than a millionth of a second to place someone within a few metres of their actual position!
This precision is possible thanks to atomic clocks, which use the quantum fact that elements only emit light waves at very specific frequencies, which our eyes interpret as very specific colours. These frequencies are remarkably consistent; by setting our clock to this frequency, we can create timing devices that stay synchronized to within one second over millions of years, as explained in A Brief History of Timekeeping by Chad Orzel. Atomic clocks were first developed in the 1950s and, by the 1960s, formed the internationally agreed-upon method for defining what “one second” really is.
From lasers to quantum computers
The specific frequencies of light emitted by atoms are not just useful for clocks. Scientists use this quantum fact to identify what elements are in a sample, a technique called spectroscopy. We can also use this feature to control atoms using another familiar quantum technology: the laser. Today, people use lasers in manufacturing, health care, digital media, and more, but the concept of a laser wouldn’t exist without the insights of quantum science.
Lasers control how energy is shifted between atoms and light, ultimately creating a bright beam by amplifying light waves moving in the same direction. Scientists and engineers today use carefully-aligned lasers to trap atoms one at a time. With these atoms, we can build quantum computers, which process information in new and different ways thanks to the unique rules of quantum science. We can also use these atoms to build sensors that detect the force of gravity with enough precision to measure objects buried deep underground, according to an article by Physics World.
Atomic clocks and lasers are just a couple of the many technologies that only exist because of quantum science. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) diagnostic techniques work thanks to our understanding of the magnetic properties of atoms, which we can only predict using quantum science. The tools we use to fabricate the integrated circuits that make up today’s computers and phones are only possible to use thanks to advances in quantum science. Quantum mechanics is all around us today, and researchers who study chemistry, physics, math, engineering, and more are thinking about what the quantum tools of the future will look like.
Exploring quantum at home and in the classroom
Quantum science doesn’t need to stay in the lab! There are budget-friendly ways to explore quantum behaviour yourself. Using polarizing filters, like those in your sunglasses, you can explore how information is encoded in light–just like how it is used in some quantum computers. With a laser pointer and a strand of hair, you can see the interference patterns that first showed us that light behaves like a wave. A diffraction grating can break light into its many colours, revealing unique patterns for different elements. We’re proud to partner with Let’s Talk Science to provide these experiments to classrooms to celebrate the quantum in 2025.
Explore more about quantum science at: letstalkscience.ca/topic/quantum
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