Glen Harris discusses whirlpools and the famously quantum property of "spin".

Glen's love of hard challenges has led him to study quantum optomechanics, the art of using light to measure (or cause) extremely tiny mechanical movements. His current projects include measuring the position of a mirror to less than the diameter of an atom, developing inertial sensors for defence applications, and stirring up the worlds smallest whirlpools. It turns out that quantum spin is not the same thing as a whirlpool, but is critical to the commercial storage and transport of liquid hydrogen fuel!

Are you enticed by quantum leaps? Subscribe and share with your friends. We'd love to hear your quantum questions - send them to [email protected] and we'll try to answer them in future episodes!

Mike Tobar explains how quantum "duality" limits ultra-precise measurements.

Mike breaks this standard quantum limit of measurement precision in order to explore things as diverse as dark matter, gravity waves, and radar. Duality is the fact that everything (photons, particles, ..., people, planets) are best described as both particles and waves at the same time - but that's not the only mind-bending idea in this episode. The search for dark matter means looking for a subatomic particle that has cosmic size, and  Mike describes experiments using giant ultra-cold tuning forks that can ring for days! 

Have you ever wondered whether Doctor Who is a quantum particle? Subscribe and share with your friends. We'd love to hear your quantum questions - send them to [email protected] and we'll try to answer them in future episodes!

John Bartholomew talks about quantum memories and the challenges of keeping quantum information "coherent".

John explores the limit of how long quantum information can be stored - a "quantum memory" is an important part of quantum information technologies. He was part of a team that set the record for this "coherence time" of about 6 hours (using super-cold glowing crystals). This might seem short compared to classical hard drives,  but its excitingly long enough to imagine building a quantum sneaker-net. In fact this idea of coherence gets at the boundary between quantum and classical! John shares his own journey from a small country town to a commute within view of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and the super-fridges from Episode 1 make a reappearance.

Have you ever wanted a quantum USB adapter? Subscribe and share with your friends. We'd love to hear your quantum questions - send them to [email protected] and we'll try to answer them in future episodes!

Quantum doesn't have to be tiny! Magdalena Zych talks about quantum "systems" on a cosmic scale.

Magdalena is a theoretician who ponders questions that straddle quantum physics and relativity - which is a big deal because these two famous theories aren't quite compatible. Quantum systems make superbly precise clocks, and measuring time is a way to play with the bent space-time of relativity. This is a great game to stretch your brain! We are amazed by the ability of equations to describe the universe (although the detailed maths are left out of this conversation), and Magdalena recounts a fantastic adventure around the world to chat with colleagues.

Have you ever wondered about a "quantum only-child" being simultaneously older and younger than themselves? Subscribe and share with your friends!

Thomas Volz discusses what the word "engineered" has to do with quantum science, and gives an exciting overview of the emerging quantum industry.

Thomas builds - or engineers - exotic quantum particles that don't occur in nature! These new kinds of material are part matter and part light, and are made using laser light bouncing between two mirrors (a bit like in a hotel elevator) that interacts with atoms in the gap between the mirrors. The idea of "quantum engineering" extends into a lively and rapidly growing range of industrial applications, and Thomas talks about co-founding a tech startup growing out of his research lab. We also touch on the impact of enthusiastic teachers and the birth of quantum science!

Whether you want to be one of the world's first Quantum Engineers or not, subscribe and share with your friends!

Sally Shrapnel shares a somewhat meandering journey into quantum science, and gives a fascinating perspective on our keyword "quantum".

Sally is one of the Deputy Directors of EQUS and does theoretical research into pretty deep ideas like "causation" and "the arrow of time", but this doesn't mean she's detached from reality. She worked as a medical doctor and rural GP before becoming a quantum scientist, and has some great stories (and advice) from her less direct career journey. Her combination of expertise enabled Sally to help work out important things about COVID-19 early in the pandemic, and she reminds us that physicists have a tremendous range of skills to offer the world in all sorts of data-driven situations. Also, we ponder the limits to what can be learnt and hear what quantum sounds like to a theoretician!

The world is a better place when more people know about quantum science. Subscribe and share with your friends!

Lachlan, Liz, and Yasmine introduce themselves as hosts of Clear as Quantum, and share anecdotes about their own quantum science research.

This first season of Clear as Quantum will interview a range of quantum science experts around Australia, but it's nice to hear a bit about the hosts first. Liz talks about building quantum sensors that might enable magnetic communication inside mines. Lachlan explains a bit about glowing diamonds, and Yasmine shares her work building Schrödinger Cats out of ultracold helium! They also share how they got into quantum science and what excites them about it.

Don’t you wish you knew more about quantum technology? Subscribe to Clear as Quantum in your favourite podcast app, or bookmark clearasquantum.transistor.fm in your web browser so that you’re ready to catch every episode (we've learnt how to improve audio quality in subsequent recordings).

Coming soon, a podcast about quantum science and technology and how it is set to change the world.

Quantum science is getting ready to unleash a revolution. Quantum computers are in the news, and quantum technologies of many kinds are getting ready to make an impact. Students in school today will be among the world’s first ever generation of quantum engineers. Don’t you wish you knew more about quantum technology? Subscribe now to Clear as Quantum in your favourite podcast app, or bookmark clearasquantum.transistor.fm in your web browser so that you’re ready to catch every episode.