Clear as Quantum

Halina Rubinsztein-Dunlop explains how quantum light can make tiny tractor-beams to move and wiggle things.

Show Notes

Halina Rubinsztein-Dunlop explains how quantum light can make tiny tractor-beams to move and wiggle things.

Halina is widely recognised for her substantial achievements in moving things with light. "Optical tweezers" are tiny tractor beams that can move and wiggle small particles (larger objects are "safe" because they'd probably burn up before being lifted off a planet into alien spaceships for example). This technique has an enormous number of applications such as wiggling the balance system of zebra fish to study how signals move through brain neurons, and heating gold nanoparticles to burn cancer cells from the inside. Halina was the first female full professor of physics in Australia, and we applaud her active (and ongoing) work to promote and achieve diversity in science.

Whether you're still just trying out physics or have already chosen to like it, subscribe and share with your friends. We'd love to hear your quantum questions - send them to engage@equs.org and we'll try to answer them in future episodes!

What is Clear as Quantum?

Clear as Quantum is an EQUS podcast about quantum science and the exciting technologies that are getting ready to unleash a quantum revolution. In this “spooky podcast at a distance” we’ll try to dust the cobwebs out of the quantum physics realm that's entangling our lives. Over the course of 10 episodes you’ll hear from some of Australia’s leading quantum scientists, and learn things worth knowing about.