Jukka Pekola receives Finnish Cultural Foundation award – ‘Quantum is of interest way beyond scientists or the science fiction world’

Jukka Pekola, what is the starting point for your quantum research?

We have a good starting point for quantum research in Finland. The Low Temperature Laboratory, ultra-low temperature technology and superconducting devices have been on the agenda for more than 50 years. Olli V. Lounasmaa, the founder of the Low Temperature Laboratory, was a pioneer in terms of science policy and strategy, and he understood the importance of internationalisation. He also realised that Finland is a small high-tech country, so it is important to find our own areas of expertise. He also created an international community of researchers in experimental low temperature physics in Finland. The openness and mobility of researchers were the keys to success.

How does the quantum revolution look like right now?

In recent decades, macroscopic systems, i.e., man-made devices that operate quantum mechanically and can generate quantum superpositions and entangled states, have been developed worldwide. They also preserve quantum states long enough to be exploited in demanding experiments and devices. In 1999, the first superconducting quantum bit was successfully built with a lifetime of about one nanosecond. Today, the lifetime of these basic quantum elements is at best in the order of a millisecond, which is a million-fold improvement.

It is not so many decades ago since quantum phenomena were thought to be observable only in the atomic world. It was only in the 1980s and 1990s when it was discovered that it is possible for humans to make quantum devices. Since then, the scale of these devices have gone from the atomically small to the millimetre or centimetre scale. Physicists and philosophers often wonder whether there is a limit to how much scale can be increased.

In what way does a quantum scientist have – or not have – a voice and an uncompromising attitude?

Quantum technology is currently going through a hype phase, typical of new fields, with great promise and expectation. The voice of individual researchers – especially sceptics – is not necessarily heard. That is the danger. If a sector becomes a megatrend, the concrete pillars of research and technology can easily be left behind. This is why a multi-voiced debate is also needed outside the scientific community.

At what point can we start to encounter quantum technology in our everyday life?

In the field of quantum sensors, practical consumer products can be developed rapidly. Based on quantum coherent phenomena, sensors measure various environmental parameters such as magnetic fields, motion, radiation or even temperature. The development timetable for the great challenge and promise of quantum technology – the quantum computer – is not something I want to predict here.

How does the quantum world appear in cultural endeavors, and what should practitioners consider when approaching the quantum world through art?

Quantum mechanics fascinates people, and it pops up in many contexts. People are wondering how it will affect their lives in the future. Quantum is of interest way beyond scientists or the science fiction world.

Quantum science and technology are based on very concrete mathematical structures and experimental facts. To make something plausible – unless you want to make a complete fiction – you need to talk to scientists in the field. Otherwise, things can get out of hand. But culture and art also have the freedom to cross boundaries. In Finland, too, there is a lot of cross-pollination in the field of science, art, and culture, for example by some researchers at InstituteQ.

Read the media release: Finnish Cultural Foundation awards granted to Villu Jaanisoo, Heini Junkkaala ja Jukka Pekola