Q-BIOMED brings quantum sensing to New Scientist Live with Quantum City

From 10–12 October, New Scientist Live brought together scientists, innovators and organisations at ExCeL London for three days of hands-on science, discovery and conversation.

All five UK Quantum Technology Hubs came together at the event to showcase Quantum City, the newly relaunched and rebranded public outreach initiative of the UK National Quantum Technologies Programme. The stand highlighted the breadth of the UK’s quantum research and demonstrated how technologies emerging from the laboratory could have applications across healthcare, communications, computing, sensing, imaging and navigation.

Bringing quantum technology to life

Visitors to the stand had the opportunity to explore a wide range of interactive demonstrations from across the UK quantum research community, meet the researchers behind the technologies and discover some of the science that makes them possible.

Researchers from Q-BIOMED introduced visitors to the sensing properties of nitrogen-vacancy (NV) diamonds. Using a green laser, the team demonstrated the characteristic red fluorescence produced by NV centres in diamond, alongside their sensitivity to magnetic fields. The demonstration provided a starting point for conversations about how these properties are being explored across Q-BIOMED for biomedical and healthcare applications. These include the development of endoscopic magnetometers to track magnetic particles during cancer surgery, the use of fluorescent nanodiamonds as labels in ultra-sensitive lateral flow tests, and their application for sensing inside cells.

Representing the work of the Integrated Quantum Networks (IQN) Hub, demonstrations included quantum interference and single-photon experiments, illustrating the principles behind quantum-secure communications and their potential applications in the future of secure information exchange.

The Quantum Computing via Integrated and Interconnected Implementations (QCi3) Hub showcased atomic lattices, providing an insight into the fundamental science underpinning the development of future quantum computers.

Visitors were also able to experience cutting-edge technologies from the UK Quantum Technology Hub in Sensing, Imaging and Timing (QuSIT), including wearable brain scanners, quantum-enabled radar systems and gravity sensing technologies, demonstrating how quantum technologies can be used to measure and image the world with precision.

Meanwhile, the Quantum Enabled Position, Navigation and Timing (QEPNT) Hub presented advanced 3D time-of-flight imaging technologies, showcasing the potential of quantum-enabled approaches for positioning, navigation and imaging across a range of sectors.

Three days of quantum conversations

Across the three days, researchers on the Quantum City stand spoke to more than 2,000 visitors, ranging from children and families to people already familiar with quantum science.

Visitors brought a huge range of questions to the stand, from wanting to understand more about the science behind the demonstrations to asking about quantum career pathways and technology deployment timelines.

Feedback from younger visitors was particularly enthusiastic, with children describing their experience using words including “creative”, “inspirational” and “extraordinary”.

Continuing the Quantum City journey

New Scientist Live marked an exciting opportunity to bring the five UK Quantum Technology Hubs together under the renewed Quantum City identity, giving visitors a window into the breadth of quantum research taking place across the UK.

For Q-BIOMED, it was also an opportunity to make quantum biomedical sensing tangible, using hands-on demonstrations to start conversations about how quantum technologies could contribute to the future of healthcare.

We look forward to continuing to work alongside the other UK Quantum Technology Hubs through Quantum City, creating more opportunities for people to encounter quantum technologies, meet the researchers developing them and explore the possibilities they could unlock.

Keep up to date with the latest news, activities and upcoming events on the Quantum City website.