School Visit – Inspiring the Next Generation of Physicists

This week, we had the pleasure of hosting a Year 11 physics class from Brisbane South State Secondary College for a tour of our quantum technology laboratory.

Dr Prasanna Pakkaim, one of our Postdoctoral Fellows, began the visit with a brief lecture introducing the fundamental concepts of quantum mechanics. He then explained the operation of our dilution refrigerator and demonstrated how we control and read out superconducting qubits using microwave signals.

Mr David Sommers, one of our PhD students, followed with a talk outlining the key steps involved in the design and fabrication of the superconducting quantum devices used in our research. The tour concluded with a visit to the sample room—where our quantum devices are actively characterised and prepared for experiments—and the electronics room, where we run simulations that drive our research.

We thank the students and teachers for their enthusiasm and thoughtful questions, and we hope the visit inspired further interest in the fascinating world of quantum physics.

Dr Prasanna Pakkaim with students, standing beside one of our dilution refrigerators.

Mr David Sommers introducing students to the design principles behind our superconducting quantum devices.