USC co-hosts Summer of Quantum in “International Year of Quantum”

As proclaimed by the United Nations in June of last year, 2025 is the official “International year of Quantum,” in part a celebration of the 100th anniversary since the introduction of quantum mechanics by the likes of scientists like Werner Heisenberg, Max Born, and Erwin Schrodinger. 

IYQ25 has organized and advertised events across six different continents, endorsing conferences, educational presentations, workshops, artistic exhibits and more. Each event aims to introduce quantum science and technology to a broader audience, thereby exposing the public to the current state and future uses of quantum technology.

Summer of Quantum in Los Angeles is another initiative inspired by IYQ25, holding talks, workshops, panels, and lab tours all free for the public to attend. The initiative is headed by current USC graduate student Sadman Ahmed Shanto, alongside graduate students from Caltech and UCLA. 

“I love LA, and I love summers in LA. I knew I could really make it such that we have an awesome summer doing a bunch of different things,” said Shanto. “As I was talking to more and more people about this, I realized that a lot of people are really interested in this and want to help.”

Events were tailored for all age groups and levels of experience, ranging from “Quantum for Kids” to “Quantum for Seniors,” as well as a multitude of student focused events. 

“We figured out which sections of the community we wanted to target, and then we had a roadmap about how exactly we wanted to communicate [with each community],” said Shanto. “We planned out exactly which level of explanation we wanted to aim at.”

The initiative kicked off in early June, beginning with public talks at USC, Caltech, UCLA and Chapman. The series — deemed “Quantum for Everyone” — began with an introductory lesson on the history and basics of quantum physics by USC’s own Dr. Aaron Wirthwein, a lecturer in Dornsife's Department of Physics and Astronomy. 

The talk drew a group of around 30, and featured those of all ages, from high schoolers, college students, and older individuals. Similarly at Caltech, UCLA, and Chapman, a diverse audience listened and questioned professors and PhD students, all surrounding basic quantum research. 

Summer of Quantum LA also featured lab tours at USC, UCLA, and Caltech. At USC, groups walked through three different quantum labs, alongside three different technical facilities. The labs included Levenson-Falk Lab, a quantum device group led by Professor Eli Levenson-Falk, the Ultrafast Quantum Opto-Spintronics Group, a condensed matter lab led by Professor Kelly Luo, and the Lidar Group, a quantum theory group led by Professor Daniel Lidar. 

Additionally, groups walked through USC Cleanroom Facilities, the Core Center of Excellence in Nano Imaging (CNI), and the Nanocluster Physics Laboratory. 

Groups at UCLA and Caltech also explored several quantum topics through lab tours, including solid-state quantum optics, quantum-aided precision sensing, nanophotonics, quantum materials, and more. 

The summer continued with Quantum Games, an event where groups could play quantum physics inspired events, as well as Quantum for Kids, an event aimed at introducing basic ideas of quantum physics to students at a young age. 

Summer of Quantum LA also provided networking opportunities for students interested in quantum industries. Hosted at the Michelson Center on USC campus, Summer of Quantum facilitated an industry panel alongside a mini expo. Scientists from Google Quantum AI, HRL Laboratories, Q-Ctrl and D-Wave spoke to audience members about their experiences doing quantum research and answered participants' questions about the future of quantum technology. 

D-Wave, who also financed a large part of the Summer of Quantum Initiative, also hosted a lab tour around their facilities located in USC’s Information Services Institute in Marina Del Rey. Also involved in the management of the event is Professor Aaron Lauda, who Shanto credits with a large share of planning. 

The collaboration between USC, UCLA, and Caltech, alongside quantum tech companies located in Southern California is something that Shanto and the Summer of Quantum team hope to continue into the future. 

“I love that we created this community,” said Shanto. “We have everyone in a room together and that’s powerful.”