Quantum particles

A topsy-turvy tiny universe

I’ll give you a pair of glasses with a super zoom effect. When you put them on, you can see the universe’s tiniest building blocks: quantum particles.

Some of these elementary particles include electrons, protons, neutrons, and photons.

What makes quantum particles so fascinating is that they exist in a world where the classical laws of physics don’t apply. Instead, they follow the strange rules of quantum mechanics, based on the superposition principle, which can be tricky to understand—even Albert Einstein found them puzzling!

Among these particles, the tiniest amount of light – the quantum of light- are called photons. Photons can behave both as particles and electromagnetic waves. This duality is strongly anchored in the fundaments of quantum mechanics and strongly linked to the superposition principle.

Photons are crucial for many aspects of our lives, from how we see the world to how we communicate using fiber optics. They are essential in technologies like lasers, solar cells, and quantum communication, where they have the potential to transmit information with unparalleled security.

So, while the quantum world might seem like a topsy-turvy tiny universe, it’s also a realm of endless possibilities, opening up new frontiers for science and technology.