New for 2025, the American Physical Society (APS) is combining its March Meeting and April Meeting into a joint event known as the APS Global Physics Summit. The largest physics research conference in the world, the Global Physics Summit brings together 14,000 attendees across all disciplines of physics. The meeting takes place in Anaheim, California (as well as virtually) from 16 to 21 March.

Uniting all disciplines of physics in one joint event reflects the increasingly interdisciplinary nature of scientific research and enables everybody to participate in any session. The meeting includes cross-disciplinary sessions and collaborative events, where attendees can meet to connect with others, discuss new ideas and discover groundbreaking physics research.

The meeting will take place in three adjacent venues. The Anaheim Convention Center will host March Meeting sessions, while the April Meeting sessions will be held at the Anaheim Marriott. The Hilton Anaheim will host SPLASHY (soft, polymeric, living, active, statistical, heterogenous and yielding) matter and medical physics sessions. Cross-disciplinary sessions and networking events will take place at all sites and in the connecting outdoor plaza.

With programming aligned with the 2025 International Year of Quantum Science and Technology, the meeting also celebrates all things quantum with a dedicated Quantum Festival. Designed to “inspire and educate”, the festival incorporates events at the intersection of art, science and fun – with multimedia performances, science demonstrations, circus performers, and talks by Nobel laureates and a NASA astronaut.

Finally, there’s the exhibit hall, where more than 200 exhibitors will showcase products and services for the physics community. Here, delegates can also attend poster sessions, a career fair and a graduate school fair. Read on to find out about some of the innovative product offerings on show at the technical exhibition.

Precision motion drives innovative instruments for physics applications

For over 25 years Mad City Labs has provided precision instrumentation for research and industry, including nanopositioning systems, micropositioners, microscope stages and platforms, single-molecule microscopes and atomic force microscopes (AFMs).

This product portfolio, coupled with the company’s expertise in custom design and manufacturing, enables Mad City Labs to provide solutions for nanoscale motion for diverse applications such as astronomy, biophysics, materials science, photonics and quantum sensing.

Mad City Labs’ piezo nanopositioners feature the company’s proprietary PicoQ sensors, which provide ultralow noise and excellent stability to yield sub-nanometre resolution and motion control down to the single picometre level. The performance of the nanopositioners is central to the company’s instrumentation solutions, as well as the diverse applications that it can serve.

Within the scanning probe microscopy solutions, the nanopositioning systems provide true decoupled motion with virtually undetectable out-of-plane movement, while their precision and stability yields high positioning performance and control. Uniquely, Mad City Labs offers both optical deflection AFMs and resonant probe AFM models.

The MadAFM is a sample scanning AFM in a compact, tabletop design. Designed for simple user-led installation, the MadAFM is a multimodal optical deflection AFM and includes software. The resonant probe AFM products include the AFM controllers MadPLL and QS-PLL, which enable users to build their own flexibly configured AFMs using Mad City Labs micro- and nanopositioners. All AFM instruments are ideal for material characterization, but resonant probe AFMs are uniquely well suited for quantum sensing and nano-magnetometry applications.

Stop by the Mad City Labs booth and ask about the new do-it-yourself quantum scanning microscope based on the company’s AFM products.

Mad City Labs also offers standalone micropositioning products such as optical microscope stages, compact positioners and the Mad-Deck XYZ stage platform. These products employ proprietary intelligent control to optimize stability and precision. These micropositioning products are compatible with the high-resolution nanopositioning systems, enabling motion control across micro–picometre length scales.

The new MMP-UHV50 micropositioning system offers 50 mm travel with 190 nm step size and maximum vertical payload of 2 kg, and is constructed entirely from UHV-compatible materials and carefully designed to eliminate sources of virtual leaks. Uniquely, the MMP-UHV50 incorporates a zero power feature when not in motion to minimize heating and drift. Safety features include limit switches and overheat protection, a critical item when operating in vacuum environments.

For advanced microscopy techniques for biophysics, the RM21 single-molecule microscope, featuring the unique MicroMirror TIRF system, offers multicolour total internal-reflection fluorescence microscopy with an excellent signal-to-noise ratio and efficient data collection, along with an array of options to support multiple single-molecule techniques. Finally, new motorized micromirrors enable easier alignment and stored setpoints.

• Visit Mad City Labs at the APS Global Summit, at booth #401

New lasers target quantum, Raman spectroscopy and life sciences

HÜBNER Photonics, manufacturer of high-performance lasers for advanced imaging, detection and analysis, is highlighting a large range of exciting new laser products at this year’s APS event. With these new lasers, the company responds to market trends specifically within the areas of quantum research and Raman spectroscopy, as well as fluorescence imaging and analysis for life sciences.

Dedicated to the quantum research field, a new series of CW ultralow-noise single-frequency fibre amplifier products – the Ampheia Series lasers – offer output powers of up to 50 W at 1064 nm and 5 W at 532 nm, with an industry-leading low relative intensity noise. The Ampheia Series lasers ensure unmatched stability and accuracy, empowering researchers and engineers to push the boundaries of what’s possible. The lasers are specifically suited for quantum technology research applications such as atom trapping, semiconductor inspection and laser pumping.

In addition to the Ampheia Series, the new Cobolt Qu-T Series of single frequency, tunable lasers addresses atom cooling. With wavelengths of 707, 780 and 813 nm, course tunability of greater than 4 nm, narrow mode-hop free tuning of below 5 GHz, linewidth of below 50 kHz and powers of 500 mW, the Cobolt Qu-T Series is perfect for atom cooling of rubidium, strontium and other atoms used in quantum applications.

For the Raman spectroscopy market, HÜBNER Photonics announces the new Cobolt Disco single-frequency laser with available power of up to 500 mW at 785 nm, in a perfect TEM00 beam. This new wavelength is an extension of the Cobolt 05-01 Series platform, which with excellent wavelength stability, a linewidth of less than 100 kHz and spectral purity better than 70 dB, provides the performance needed for high-resolution, ultralow-frequency Raman spectroscopy measurements.

For life science applications, a number of new wavelengths and higher power levels are available, including 553 nm with 100 mW and 594 nm with 150 mW. These new wavelengths and power levels are available on the Cobolt 06-01 Series of modulated lasers, which offer versatile and advanced modulation performance with perfect linear optical response, true OFF states and stable illumination from the first pulse – for any duty cycles and power levels across all wavelengths.

The company’s unique multi-line laser, Cobolt Skyra, is now available with laser lines covering the full green–orange spectral range, including 594 nm, with up to 100 mW per line. This makes this multi-line laser highly attractive as a compact and convenient illumination source in most bioimaging applications, and now also specifically suitable for excitation of AF594, mCherry, mKate2 and other red fluorescent proteins.

In addition, with the Cobolt Kizomba laser, the company is introducing a new UV wavelength that specifically addresses the flow cytometry market. The Cobolt Kizomba laser offers 349 nm output at 50 mW with the renowned performance and reliability of the Cobolt 05-01 Series lasers.

• Visit HÜBNER Photonics at the APS Global Summit, at booth #359.

 

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Are we at risk of losing ourselves in the midst of technological advancement? Could the tools we build to reflect our intelligence start distorting our very sense of self? Artificial intelligence (AI) is a technological advancement with huge ethical implications, and in The AI Mirror: How to Reclaim Our Humanity in an Age of Machine Thinking, Shannon Vallor offers a philosopher’s perspective on this vital question.

Vallor, who is based at the University of Edinburgh in the UK, argues that artificial intelligence is not just reshaping society but is also subtly rewriting our relationship with knowledge and autonomy. She even goes as far as to say, “Today’s AI mirrors tell us what it is to be human – what we prioritize, find good, beautiful or worth our attention.”

Vallor employs the metaphor of AI as a mirror – a device that reflects human intelligence but lacks independent creativity. According to her, AI systems, which rely on curated sets of training data, cannot truly innovate or solve new challenges. Instead, they mirror our collective past, reflecting entrenched biases and limiting our ability to address unprecedented global problems like climate change. Therefore, unless we carefully consider how we build and use AI, it risks stalling human progress by locking us into patterns of the past.

The book explores how humanity’s evolving relationship with technology – from mechanical automata and steam engines to robotics and cloud computing – has shaped the development of AI. Vallor grounds readers in what AI is and, crucially, what it is not. As she explains, while AI systems appear to “think”, they are fundamentally tools designed to process and mimic human-generated data.

The book’s philosophical underpinnings are enriched by Vallor’s background in the humanities and her ethical expertise. She draws on myths, such as the story of Narcissus, who met a tragic end after being captivated by his reflection, to illustrate the dangers of AI. She gives as an example the effect that AI social-media filters have on the propagation and domination of Western beauty standards.

Vallor also explores the long history of literature grappling with artificial intelligence, self-awareness and what it truly means to be human. These fictional works, which include Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K Dick, are used not just as examples but as tools to explore the complex relationship between humanity and AI. The emphasis on the ties between AI and popular culture results in writing that is both accessible and profound, deftly weaving complex ideas into a narrative that engages readers from all backgrounds.

One area where I find Vallor’s conclusions contentious is her vision for AI in augmenting science communication and learning. She argues that our current strategies for science communication are inadequate and that improving public and student access to reliable information is critical. In her words: “Training new armies of science communicators is an option, but a less prudent use of scarce public funds than conducting vital research itself. This is one area where AI mirrors will be useful in the future.”

Science communication and teaching are about more than simply summarising papers or presenting data; they require human connection to contextualize findings and make them accessible to broad audiences

In my opinion, this statement warrants significant scrutiny. Science communication and teaching are about more than simply summarising papers or presenting data; they require human connection to contextualize findings and make them accessible to broad audiences. While public distrust of experts is a legitimate issue, delegating science communication to AI risks exacerbating the problem.

AI’s lack of genuine understanding, combined with its susceptibility to bias and detachment from human nuance, could further erode trust and deepen the disconnect between science and society. Vallor’s optimism in this context feels misplaced. AI, as it currently stands, is ill-suited to bridge the gaps that good science communication seeks to address.

Despite its generally critical tone, The AI Mirror is far from a technophobic manifesto. Vallor’s insights are ultimately hopeful, offering a blueprint for reclaiming technology as a tool for human advancement. She advocates for transparency, accountability, and a profound shift in economic and social priorities. Rather than building AI systems to mimic human behaviour, she argues, we should design them to amplify our best qualities – creativity, empathy and moral reasoning – while acknowledging the risk that this technology will devalue these talents as well as amplify them.

The AI Mirror is essential reading for anyone concerned about the future of artificial intelligence and its impact on humanity. Vallor’s arguments are rigorous yet accessible, drawing from philosophy, history and contemporary AI research. She challenges readers to see AI not as a technological inevitability but as a cultural force that we must actively shape.

Her emphasis on the need for a “new language of virtue” for the AI age warrants consideration, particularly in her call to resist the seductive pull of efficiency and automation at the expense of humanity. Vallor argues that as AI systems increasingly influence decision-making in society, we must cultivate a vocabulary of ethical engagement that goes beyond simplistic notions of utility and optimization. As she puts it: “We face a stark choice in building AI technologies. We can use them to strengthen our humane virtues, sustaining and extending our collective capabilities to live wisely and well. By this path, we can still salvage a shared future for human flourishing.”

Vallor’s final call to action is clear: we must stop passively gazing into the AI mirror and start reshaping it to serve humanity’s highest virtues, rather than its worst instincts. If AI is a mirror, then we must decide what kind of reflection we want to see.

The post Lost in the mirror: as AI development gathers momentum, will it reflect humanity’s best or worst attributes? appeared first on Physics World.

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NASA has launched a $488m infra-red mission to map the distribution of galaxies and study cosmic inflation. The Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer (SPHEREx) mission was launched yesterday from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California by a SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket.

Set to operate for two years in a polar orbit about 650 km from the Earth’s surface, SPHEREx will collect data from 450 million galaxies as well as more than 100 million stars to create a 3D map of the cosmos.

It will use to this gain an insight into cosmic inflation – the rapid expansion of the universe following the Big Bang.

It will also search the Milky Way for hidden reservoirs of water, carbon dioxide and other ingredients critical for life as well as study the cosmic glow of light from the space between galaxies.

The craft features three concentric shields that surround the telescope to protect it from light and heat. Three mirrors, including a 20cm primary mirror, collect light before feed it into filters and detectors. The set-up allows the telescope to resolve 102 different wavelengths of light.

Packing a punch

SPHEREx has been launched together with another NASA mission dubbed Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere (PUNCH). Via a constellation of four satellites in a low-Earth orbit, PUNCH will make 3D observations of the Sun’s corona to learn how the mass and energy become solar wind. It will also explore the formation and evolution of space weather events such as coronal mass ejections, which can create storms of energetic particle radiation that can be damaging to spacecraft.

PUNCH will now undergo a three-month commissioning period in which the four satellites will enter the correct orbital formation and the instruments calibrated to operate as a single “virtual instrument” before it begins studying the solar wind.

“Everything in NASA science is interconnected, and sending both SPHEREx and PUNCH up on a single rocket doubles the opportunities to do incredible science in space,” noted Nicky Fox, associate administrator for NASA’s science mission directorate. “Congratulations to both mission teams as they explore the cosmos from far-out galaxies to our neighbourhood star. I am excited to see the data returned in the years to come.”

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A research team headed up at Linköping University in Sweden and Cornell University in the US has succeeded in recycling almost all of the components of perovskite solar cells using simple, non-toxic, water-based solvents. What’s more, the researchers were able to use the recycled components to make new perovskite solar cells with almost the same power conversion efficiency as those created from new materials. This work could pave the way to a sustainable perovskite solar economy, they say.

While solar energy is considered an environmentally friendly source of energy, most of the solar panels available today are based on silicon, which is difficult to recycle. This has led to the first generation of silicon solar panels, which are reaching the end of their life cycles, ending up in landfills, says Xun Xiao, one of the team members at Linköping University.

When developing emerging solar cell technologies, we therefore need to take recycling into consideration, adds one of the leaders of the new study, Feng Gao, also at Linköping. “If we don’t know how to recycle them, maybe we shouldn’t put them on the market at all.”

To this end, many countries around the world are imposing legal requirements on photovoltaic manufacturers, to ensure that they collect and recycle any solar cell waste they produce. These initiatives include the WEEE directive 2012/19/EU in the European Union and equivalent legislation in Asia and the US.

Perovskites are one of the most promising materials for making next-generation solar cells. Not only are they relatively inexpensive, they are also easy to fabricate, lightweight, flexible and transparent. This allows them to be placed on top of a variety of surfaces, unlike their silicon counterparts. And since they boast a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of more than 25%, this makes them comparable to existing photovoltaics on the market.

A shorter lifespan

One of their downsides, however, is that perovskite solar cells have a shorter lifespan than silicon solar cells. This means that recycling is even more critical for these materials. Today, perovskite solar cells are disassembled using dangerous solvents such as dimethylformamide, but Gao and colleagues have now developed a technique in which water can be used as the solvent.

Perovskites are crystalline materials with an ABX₃ structure, where A is caesium, methylammonium (MA) or formamidinium (FA); B is lead or tin; and X is chlorine, bromine or iodine. Solar cells made of these materials are composed of different layers: the hole/electron transport layers; the perovskite layer; indium tin oxide substrates; and cover glasses.

In their work, which they detail in Nature, the researchers succeeded in delaminating end-of-life devices layer by layer, using water containing three low-cost additives: sodium acetate, sodium iodide and hypophosphorous acid. Despite being able to dissolve organic iodide salts such as methylammonium iodide and formamidinium iodide, water only marginally dissolves lead iodide (about 0.044 g per 100 ml at 20 °C). The researchers therefore developed a way to increase the amount of lead iodide that dissolves in water by introducing acetate ions into the mix. These ions readily coordinate with lead ions, forming highly soluble lead acetate (about 44.31 g per 100 ml at 20 °C).

Once the degraded perovskites had dissolved in the aqueous solution, the researchers set about recovering pure and high-quality perovskite crystals from the solution. They did this by providing extra iodide ions to coordinate with lead. This resulted in [PbI]⁺ transitioning to [PbI₂]⁰ and eventually to [PbI₃]⁻ and the formation of the perovskite framework.

To remove the indium tin oxide substrates, the researchers sonicated these layers in a solution of water/ethanol (50%/50% volume ratio) for 15 min. Finally, they delaminated the cover glasses by placing the degraded solar cells on a hotplate preheated to 150 °C for 3 min.

They were able to apply their technology to recycle both MAPbI₃ and FAPbI₃ perovskites.

New devices made from the recycled perovskites had an average power conversion efficiency of 21.9 ± 1.1%, with the best samples clocking in at 23.4%. This represents an efficiency recovery of more than 99% compared with those prepared using fresh materials (which have a PCE of 22.1 ± 0.9%).

Looking forward, Gao and colleagues say they would now like to demonstrate that their technique works on a larger scale. “Our life-cycle assessment and techno-economic analysis has already confirmed that our strategy not only preserves raw materials, but also appreciably lowers overall manufacturing costs of solar cells made from perovskites,” says co-team leader Fengqi You, who works at Cornell University. “In particular, reclaiming the valuable layers in these devices drives down expenses and helps reduce the ‘levelized cost’ of electricity they produce, making the technology potentially more competitive and sustainable at scale,” he tells Physics World.

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MIAMI, FLA. – March 11, 2025 – Overwatch x RescueTM (OxR), the emergency SOS subscription service by FocusPoint International–a global leader in critical incident management coordinating 15,000 rescues annually– launched its direct-to-consumer (DTC) subscription service, becoming the first SOS plan to take advantage of iPhone's satellite messaging capabilities. This move also expands OxR’s coverage to most Garmin satellite communicators, and ZOLEO devices, ensuring that outdoor enthusiasts in remote areas have comprehensive, real-time emergency assistance.

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Quantum technologies are flourishing the world over, with advances across the board researching practical applications such as quantum computing, communication, cryptography and sensors. Indeed, the quantum industry is booming – an estimated $42bn was invested in the sector in 2023, and this amount is projected to rise to $106bn by 2040.

With academia, industry and government all looking for professionals to join the future quantum workforce, it’s crucial to have people with the right skills, and from all educational levels. With this in mind, efforts are being made across the US to focus on quantum education and training, with educators working to introduce quantum concepts from the elementary-school level, all the way to tailored programmes at PhD and postgraduate level that meet the needs of potential employers in the area. Efforts are being made to ensure that graduates and early-career physicists are aware of the many roles available in the quantum sphere.   

“There are a lot of layers to what has to be done in quantum education,” says Emily Edwards, an electrical and computer engineer at Duke University and co-leader of the National Q-12 Education Partnership. “I like to think of quantum education along different dimensions. One way is to think about what most learners may need in terms of foundational public literacy or student literacy in the space. Towards the top, we have people who are very specialized. Essentially, we have to think about many different learners at different stages – they might need specific tools or might need different barriers removed for them. And so different parts of the economy – from government to industry to academia and professional institutions – will play a role in how to address the needs of a certain group.”

Engaging young minds

To ensure that the US remains a key global player in quantum information science and technology (QIST), the National Q-12 Education Partnership – launched by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the National Science Foundation (NSF) – is focused on ways to engage young minds in quantum, building the necessary tools and strategies to help improve early (K-12) education and outreach.

To achieve this, Q-12 is looking at outreach and education in middle and high school by introducing QIST concepts and providing access to learning materials and to inspire the next generation of quantum leaders. Over the next decade, Q-12 also aims to provide quantum-related curricula – developed by professionals in the field – beyond university labs and classrooms, to community colleges and online courses.

Edwards explains that while Q-12 mainly focuses on the K-12 level, there is also an overlap with early undergraduate, two-year colleges  – meaning that there is a wide range of requirements, issues and unique challenges to contend with. Such a big space also means that different companies and institutions have varying levels of funding and interests in quantum education research and development.

“Academic organizations, for example, tend to work on educational research or to provide professional development, especially because it’s nascent,” says Edwards. “There is a lot of the activity in the academic space, within professional societies. We also work with a number of private companies, some of which are developing curricula, or providing free access to different tools and simulations for learning experiences.”

The role of the APS

The American Physical Society (APS) is strongly involved in quantum education – by making sure that teachers have access to tools and resources for quantum education as well as connecting quantum professionals with K-12 classrooms to discuss careers in quantum. “The APS has been really active in engaging with teachers and connecting them with the vast network of APS members, stakeholders and professionals, to talk about careers,” says Edwards. APS and Q-12 have a number of initiatives – such as Quantum To-Go and QuanTime – that help connect quantum professionals with classrooms and provide teachers with ready-to-use quantum activities.

Claudia Fracchiolla, who is the APS’s head of public engagement, points out that while there is growing interest in quantum education, there is a lack of explicit support for high-school teachers who need to be having conversations about a possible career in quantum with students that will soon be choosing a major.

“We know from our research that while teachers might want to engage in this professional development, they don’t always have the necessary support from their institution and it is not regulated,” explains Fracchiolla. She adds that while there are a “few stellar people in the field who are creating materials for teachers”, there is not a clear standard on how they can be used, or what can be taught at a school level.

Quantum To-Go

To help tackle these issues, the APS and Q-12 launched the Quantum To-Go programme, which pairs educators with quantum-science professionals, who speak to students about quantum concepts and careers. The programme covers students from the first year of school through to undergraduate level, with scientists visiting in person or virtually.

It’s a really great way for quantum professionals in different sectors to visit classrooms and talk about their experiences

Emily Edwards

“I think it’s a really great way for quantum professionals in different sectors to visit classrooms and talk about their experiences,” says Edwards. She adds that this kind of collaboration can be especially useful “because we know that students  – particularly young women, or students of colour or those from any marginalized background – self-select out of these areas while they’re still in the K-12 environment.”

Edwards puts this down to a lack of role models in the workplace. “Not only do they not hear about quantum in the classroom or in their curriculum, but they also can’t see themselves working in the field,” she says. “So there’s no hope of achieving a diverse workforce if you don’t connect a diverse set of professionals with the classroom. So we are really proud to be a part of Quantum To-Go.”

Quantum resources

With 2025 being celebrated as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ), both Q-12 and the APS hope to see and host many community-driven activities and events focused on young learners and their families. An example of this is Q-12’s QuanTime initiative, which seeks to help teachers curate informal quantum activities across the US all year round. “Education is local in the US, and so it’s most successful if we can work with locals to help develop their own community resources,” explains Edwards.

A key event in the APS’s annual calendar of activities celebrating IYQ is the Quantum Education and Policy Summit, held in partnership with the Q-SEnSE institute. It aims to bring together key experts in physics education, policymakers and quantum industry leaders, to develop quantum educational resources and policies.

Another popular resource produced by the APS is its PhysicsQuest kits, which are aimed at middle-school students to help them explore specific physics topics. “We engaged with different APS members who work in quantum to design activities for middle-school students,”  says Fracchiolla. “We then worked with some teachers to pilot and test those activities, before finalizing our kits, which are freely available to teachers. Normally, each year we do four activities, but thanks to IYQ, we decided to double that to eight activities that are all related to topics in quantum science and technology.”

To help distribute these kits to teachers, as well as provide them with guidance on how to use all the included materials, the APS is hosting workshops for teachers during the Teachers’ Days at the APS Global Physics Summit in March 2025. Workshops will also be held at the APS Division of Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics (DAMOP) annual meeting in June. 

“A key part of IYQ is creating an awareness of what quantum science and technology entails, because it is also about the people that work in the field,” says Fracchiolla. “Something that was really important when we were writing the proposal to send to the UN for the IYQ was to demonstrate how quantum technologies will supports the UN’s sustainable development goals. I hope this also inspires students to pursue careers in quantum, as they realize that it goes beyond quantum computing.”

If we are focusing on quantum technologies to address sustainable development goals, we need to make sure that they are accessible to everyone

Claudia Fracchiolla

Fracchiolla also underlines that having a diverse range of people in the quantum workforce will ensure that these technologies will help to tackle societal and environmental issues, and vice versa. “If we are focusing on quantum technologies to address sustainable development goals, we need to make sure that they are accessible to everyone. And that’s not going to happen if diverse minds are not involved in the process of developing these technologies,” she says, while acknowledging that this is currently not the case.

It is Fracchiolla’s ultimate hope that the IYQ and the APS’s activities taken together will help all students feel empowered that there is a place for them in the field. “Quantum is still a nascent field and we have the opportunity to not repeat the errors of the past, that have made many areas of science exclusive. We need to make the field diverse from the get go.”

• This article was first published in APS Careers 2025

The post Preparing the next generation of US physicists for a quantum future appeared first on Physics World.

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