Did you know that you interact with quantum physics every day, even if you aren’t aware of it? Quantum physics often seems like a mysterious and abstract field, with concepts like particles communicating across vast distances or existing in multiple places at once. However, quantum physics is deeply integrated into our daily lives. Let’s explore five ways quantum physics plays a crucial role in the technology we use every day.
Computers are the backbone of today’s world, and they owe their existence to quantum physics. At the core of every computer is the transistor, a tiny switch that can be turned on and off without any moving parts. This allows us to pack billions of transistors onto a single chip, enabling them to switch billions of times per second. Transistors rely on the unique electronic properties of silicon, a semiconductor, which are governed by the principles of quantum physics.
In semiconductors, electrons can only occupy specific energy states. By manipulating these states, we create on-off switches. Pure silicon isn’t enough; we need to engineer it by adding elements like phosphorus or boron to create materials with different energy levels. This engineering allows us to control electron flow by applying voltage, forming the basis of the transistor. Without quantum physics, the invention of the transistor would have been impossible.
The screens we use and the cameras that capture images both rely on quantum physics. Most modern screens are backlit by LEDs (light-emitting diodes), which are semiconductor devices. When voltage is applied, electrons move between semiconductors, lose energy, and emit light. Over time, LEDs have become brighter and more efficient, thanks to advancements in engineering based on quantum principles.
Conversely, digital camera sensors consist of tiny pixels known as photodetectors or photodiodes. These sensors generate an electron current when exposed to light, again utilizing the energy levels in semiconductors. The improvements in camera technology, such as higher megapixels and sensitivity, are due to our enhanced ability to manipulate the quantum physics of these semiconductors.
Lasers are another marvel of quantum physics. By applying voltage to specific element mixtures, we excite electrons to emit light. This light is amplified using mirrors, creating a strong, focused beam of monochromatic light. The process, known as stimulated emission, involves promoting electrons to higher energy states and then releasing them in phase with a tuned light beam. This requires precise knowledge of quantum energy levels.
Lasers are integral to many technologies, including fiber optic cables that transmit vast amounts of internet traffic, possibly even the video you watched.
GPS technology relies on highly accurate clocks aboard satellites. These satellites continuously broadcast time signals, which your phone uses to calculate its location based on signal travel time. The precision of these atomic clocks is based on the frequency of transitions between energy states in cesium atoms, a principle rooted in quantum physics. This ensures synchronization and accuracy to one second in 1.4 million years.
These five technologies demonstrate how quantum physics underpins much of our modern world. As we continue to explore quantum technologies like quantum computing, quantum information, and quantum metrology, the future promises even more fascinating developments. Quantum physics is not just a theoretical science; it’s a practical force shaping our everyday lives.
Thank you for exploring the wonders of quantum physics with me. If you’re interested in supporting further content, consider purchasing a poster or book, or supporting on Patreon. Stay curious, and I’ll see you in the next exploration!
Engage in a hands-on workshop where you will build a simple model of a transistor using basic materials. This activity will help you understand how quantum physics principles are applied in creating transistors, the building blocks of modern computers.
Participate in an experiment to explore how LEDs and photodiodes work. You will use different semiconductor materials to observe how voltage affects light emission and detection, gaining insight into the quantum mechanics behind screens and cameras.
Join a session to construct a basic laser and learn about its applications. This activity will demonstrate the principles of stimulated emission and energy state transitions, providing a practical understanding of how lasers function and their role in technology.
Engage in a simulation exercise to understand how GPS technology works. By using a model of atomic clocks and signal triangulation, you will learn how quantum physics ensures the precision and accuracy of GPS systems.
Participate in a debate on the future of quantum technology. Discuss potential advancements in quantum computing, information, and metrology, and explore how these developments might impact society. This activity will encourage critical thinking and application of quantum concepts.
Here’s a sanitized version of the provided YouTube transcript:
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You use quantum physics every single day as you go about your life, something you probably don’t realize. When people talk about quantum physics, including me, we tend to emphasize the more unusual aspects of it, like particles that can be separated by the size of the universe and still communicate with each other instantaneously, or when particles can be in multiple places at once. This tends to make quantum physics seem like a strange, abstract kind of science that doesn’t have much to do with our everyday lives, but this couldn’t be further from the truth.
So, here’s a list of five ways we use quantum physics every single day:
**Number One:** The entire basis of the modern world is computers, and computers wouldn’t exist without our understanding of quantum physics. The basic element of a computer is the transistor, which is a tiny switch. It’s very useful because it doesn’t have any moving parts, allowing us to miniaturize it and have billions of them on a single chip, all switching a billion times per second. Transistors use the special electronic properties of silicon, which is a semiconductor, and the rules of semiconductors are dictated by quantum physics. Electrons in a semiconductor can only be in certain energy states, and you can use these energy states to create on-off switches.
You can’t do much with just pure silicon; you need to engineer these materials by adding extra elements like phosphorus or boron to create materials with different energy levels. By combining those materials, you can make a junction where normally electrons don’t flow until you apply a voltage, allowing electrons to flow and creating an on-off switch. The behavior of energy levels in these different materials is dictated by the laws of quantum physics, and we wouldn’t have been able to invent the transistor without this understanding.
**Technology Two and Three:** The screen you’re watching this on and the camera I recorded this with also rely on the quantum physics of semiconductors. Most screens today are backlit by LEDs (light-emitting diodes), which are semiconductor devices. When you apply a voltage, an electron moves from one semiconductor to another, loses energy, and emits light. LEDs have been gradually getting better over time, with significant engineering efforts to make them very bright and white in color.
The opposite of an LED is the sensor in my digital camera. That sensor is made up of tiny pixels called photodetectors or photodiodes. When they receive light, they create a current of electrons, again through our manipulation of the energy levels in semiconductors. The improvement in cameras, with more megapixels and higher sensitivities, is due to our increasing ability to engineer the quantum physics of these semiconductors.
**Technology Number Four:** The laser. In a laser, you apply voltage to specific mixtures of elements and excite the electrons, which then emit light. This is amplified with mirrors, producing very strong, focused monochromatic light. The process that lasers use is called stimulated emission, where you promote an electron to a higher energy state in one atom, transfer it to another atom, and then those electrons get knocked down with a correctly tuned beam of light, releasing more light that is all in phase. To make a laser beam work, you need to find elements with very similar energy levels, which again requires our understanding of quantum physics.
You might be wondering how you use laser beams every day. Well, this video probably reached you through a fiber optic cable, as does a huge amount of web traffic these days.
**The last technology on my list, Number Five, is GPS technology.** GPS relies on incredibly accurate clocks on GPS satellites. The satellites continuously broadcast their time, and your phone uses these signals to determine its location on Earth based on how long the signals took to reach it. The ticking of these atomic clocks depends on the frequency of a transition between two particular energy states in a cesium atom. Because the frequency of these clocks depends on the laws of nature, all of the clocks are exactly in sync and accurate to one second in 1.4 million years.
So, those are my five main technologies that perhaps you didn’t know are based on the laws of quantum physics. There are many other applications we use in the world today. Given that we do pretty much everything on computers, you could argue that the entire modern world exists because of our understanding of quantum physics, which is something I don’t think many people appreciate, but I think is fascinating.
In the future, there are more quantum technologies coming, like quantum information, quantum computing, quantum metrology, and quantum simulation. Seeing how all of these develop will be very interesting. Clearly, I’m a massive fan of quantum physics, but I think I’ll give it a rest there. Thanks so much for watching! If you’d like to support me, there are many different ways you can do so, including buying a poster or a book. We’ve just released a new one, and I’ll link to all of that in the description below. Any support on Patreon is also gratefully received. Thanks for watching, and I’ll see you in the next video!
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This version maintains the original content while ensuring clarity and coherence.
Quantum – A discrete quantity of energy proportional in magnitude to the frequency of the radiation it represents, fundamental to quantum mechanics. – In quantum mechanics, particles can exist in multiple states at once until they are observed.
Physics – The branch of science concerned with the nature and properties of matter and energy. – Physics provides the foundational understanding necessary for the development of new technologies.
Technology – The application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry. – Advances in technology have significantly improved computational power and efficiency.
Computers – Electronic devices that process data according to a set of instructions stored internally. – Modern computers can perform billions of calculations per second, enabling complex simulations in physics.
Transistors – Semiconductor devices used to amplify or switch electronic signals and electrical power. – Transistors are the building blocks of modern electronic devices, including computers and smartphones.
Semiconductors – Materials that have a conductivity between conductors and insulators, used in electronic components. – Semiconductors are essential for the fabrication of integrated circuits and transistors.
Lasers – Devices that emit light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation. – Lasers are used in a variety of applications, from cutting materials to conducting precise measurements in physics experiments.
GPS – Global Positioning System, a satellite-based navigation system that provides location and time information. – The accuracy of GPS technology relies on the principles of relativity to account for time dilation effects.
Electrons – Subatomic particles with a negative electric charge, found in all atoms and acting as the primary carrier of electricity in solids. – The behavior of electrons in a material determines its electrical conductivity and is a key focus in semiconductor physics.
Energy – The capacity to do work or the power derived from the utilization of physical or chemical resources. – In physics, energy conservation is a fundamental principle that states energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed.
