On Wednesday, January 21, 2026, quantum science and technology research organizations held a day of outreach dedicated to these disciplines. Here’s a look back at the highlights of the day and the joys of sharing scientific knowledge.
Quantum physics: it’s for everyone
At the beginning of 2025, UNESCO declared the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology open. There was excitement in academic circles operating in the Île-de-France region: What to do? How to honor quantum physics? How to take advantage of this special year?
On the initiative of QICS, DIM QuanTiP, Quantum Saclay, PCQT, and SFP, with the help of Atouts Sciences, a series of meetings are organized with a single goal in mind: to share knowledge about quantum physics with as many people as possible. The Science Festival, activities in high schools and middle schools, conferences for the general public, laboratory visits—it’s all continuing! What’s more, this year is above all an opportunity to co-create a unique, unprecedented event, all together. It is from this desire to bring people together and join forces that the “Lumière sur la quantique” (Light on Quantum) project, led by DIM QuanTiP, was born.
With the aim of ending the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology on a positive note, organizations are working together to set up a day of outreach entirely dedicated to quantum science.
A unifying initiative
Academic research in quantum physics is flourishing in the Paris region. France is a key player in the development of quantum technologies and in the quality of research in this field, with no fewer than two Nobel Prizes in five years, dozens of competitive start-ups, numerous laboratories, and a government commitment to supporting these projects.
At the “Lumière sur la quantique” day, the challenge of representing the complexity of the academic world is omnipresent. It is an exceptional opportunity to showcase the research of the entire region, with the presence of laboratories from Cergy, Villetaneuse, central Paris, and Paris-Saclay, as well as the participation of schools such as Polytechnique.
Coming together to understand the ecosystem behind the mysterious word “quantum,” uniting to develop a simple and accessible discourse, sharing to break down barriers and clarify these sometimes counterintuitive concepts. The multidimensional challenges of “Lumière sur la quantique” constitute a first bridge between the academic world and the general public.
When the strange amazes
On the morning of January 21, 2026, at the LUMEN center at Paris-Saclay University, the sun shines down on the experiments and games planned for the day. It joined the wanderings of high school seniors from neighboring schools and curious visitors making their way between the tables. The tables overflowed on both sides, between the more or less imposing devices, the computers that controlled them, and the diagrams that explained them.
In total, seven stands are filled with all kinds of experiments to try out, and four areas are taken over by various board games. Behind each stand, doctoral students, researchers, and post-doctoral students are busy discussing, explaining, and diagramming what is happening in front of the audience.
At one end of the room, magnets levitate thanks to a superconducting material and liquid nitrogen; at the other end, someone tries to align mirrors using a switch controller. In the auditorium opposite, people try to understand why the Cheshire Cat gradually disappears, leaving only his smile behind. In the stands, videos play one after the other, alternating between scientific concepts and images of research laboratories.
The excitement spreads, and at noon, everyone goes to talk to the other exhibitors to understand, get to know each other, but above all to talk about quantum physics. The rest of the day is calmer but no less enriching. The explanations resume in good spirits and the feedback is positive.
Finally, the sun slowly sets, giving way to a restful calm. In no time at all, all the tables are cleared, the posters taken down from the walls, and the bags closed. It’s as if nothing ever happened, with the photos being the only witnesses to the light shared that day.
