What is Planck's constant and how does it affect our lives? - these are just some of the questions to which answers will be available on April 14 during World Quantum Day at the University of Gdańsk and Gdynia's Experyment Science Centre.
The celebrations will begin at 10.00 a.m. in the Experyment Science Centre in Gdynia with workshops "In the world of quanta" led, among others, by members of the Scientific Circle of Physicists of the University of Gdańsk. At 12.00 we invite you to the Main Library of the University of Gdańsk for a lecture by dr. hab. Marcin Pawłowski 'Quantum Ciphers' and for the presentation of the artistic installation 'Travels of Light' by dr Karolina Wojnowska-Paterek and dr hab. Tomasz Paterek, prof. UG.
World Quantum Day is an initiative of scientists specialising in quantum research from over 65 countries. The list of events and the genesis of the celebrations can be found on the website: https://worldquantumday.org/
The organisers of the event published a video in which representatives of universities from all over the world, including Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Sudan and even Zambia, invite you to participate in the celebrations. The video clip features, among others, prof. dr hab. Wiesław Laskowski, Vice-Rector for Research, and dr hab. Łukasz Rudnicki, prof. UG from the Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Computer Science at the University of Gdańsk.
Why was April 14th chosen as the date for the celebrations? It is a reference to the number 4.14, that is, the rounded first digits of Planck's constant: 4.135667696×10^-15 eV.s, which is the fundamental constant governing quantum physics. Why is Planck's constant so important? Did you know that it is used to define the kilogram? How does Planck's constant affect our lives? These are just some of the questions that will be addressed during the World Quantum Day activities.
Scientists from our university will take part in this international event. At 12.00 in the Main Library of UG, there will be a popular science lecture entitled "Quantum Ciphers" organised by the National Centre for Quantum Informatics, which will be delivered by dr hab. Marcin Pawłowski from the International Centre for Theory of Quantum Technologies.
After the lecture, an artistic installation 'Travels of Light' by dr Karolina Wojnowska-Paterek and dr hab. Tomasz Paterek, prof. UG, will be presented. Through art, the installation will bring closer the ideas of quantum physics.
However, the attractions of World Quantum Day are not limited to the University of Gdańsk premises. At 10 am, in the Experyment Science Centre, members of the Scientific Association of Physicists at the University of Gdańsk will talk about quanta and quantum phenomena. As part of the workshop 'In the world of quanta' they will also show experiments indicating quantum properties of nature. At 12.00 at the CNE during a scientific show, we will hear the answer to the key question 'What does quantum physics do?'.
More information on the attractions of the Experyment Science Centre can be found here.
The celebration of World Quantum Day is only one of many initiatives of the University of Gdańsk in this field of science.
Thanks to the initiative of the University of Gdańsk, the National Centre of Quantum Information was established. It is a research unit bringing together nine Polish institutions - the University of Wrocław, the Polish Academy of Sciences, the University of Lodz, the Jagiellonian University, Gdańsk University of Technology, the Centre for Theoretical Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences, the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń and, of course, the University of Gdańsk.
In 2018, the International Centre for Theory of Quantum Technologies (ICTQT) was also launched at UG. Its task is to conduct research on, among others, computers, networks and quantum simulations. The strategic partner of our unit is the Austrian Academy of Sciences (Institute of Quantum Optics and Quantum Information), one of the best scientific centres in this field in the world.
The first of April this year saw the official opening of the Quantum Cybersecurity Hub Europe Foundation, an institution closely related to UG. Its president, Sebastian Zimnol said then: - 'Quantum is the future, and the future starts today.'
