Celebrating the International Day of Light with Solid-State Quantum Optics

Each year on May 16, the International Day of Light marks the vital role light plays in science, technology, art, and culture. This year, IPAS proudly supported the University of Adelaide’s dynamic Optica Student Chapter in organising a standout public lecture on a complex and fascinating topics of modern physics: Solid-State Quantum Optics.

The lecture was delivered by Professor Glenn Solomon, the inaugural Hicks Chair of Quantum Materials at the University of Adelaide. Glenn brings a wealth of expertise to this field, with decades of experience at the interface of quantum optics and condensed matter physics. In addition to his role at the University of Adelaide, he is also an Adjunct Fellow at the Joint Quantum Institute (University of Maryland) and at the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and a Fellow of the Optical Society and the American Physical Society.

Professor Solomon's talk was accessible and unravelled how quantum optics evolved and what it means when it becomes solid-state. Using analogies like how graphite and diamond are both carbon, but behave differently due to how their atoms are arranged.  Glenn helped the audience understand how the way atoms are bonded in a solid affects how light interacts with the material.

He also introduced the audience to the cutting-edge research his team is leading at the new Centre for Quantum Materials and Quantum Technologies (CQMQ). From growing ultra-pure crystals atom-by-atom to crafting quantum devices in cleanrooms, Glenn and his group are developing the materials and systems that will underpin future quantum technologies. Visitors had the rare chance to preview the Centre's three new labs—still under construction but already looking like something out of a sci-fi film—with towering equipment used to deposit layers of materials onto wafers with nanometre precision.

Following the talk, attendees enjoyed pizza, soft drinks, and hands-on demonstrations, including the crowd-favourite AIP Laser Radio, where light beams carried music across the room—a brilliant reminder of light's versatility.

Congratulations to the Adelaide Optica Student Chapter for hosting such an inspiring evening, and thank you to Professor Glenn Solomon for illuminating such a challenging topic with clarity, insight, and enthusiasm.