Quanta School exhibition opens at Science Centre Singapore
CQT is proud to support the exhibition which runs till 2026
(From left) CQT PhD student Lee Kai Xiang and NUS Physics undergraduate Lim En Teng, who is also an intern at CQT, share about their research with Guest of Honour Mr Heng Swee Keat during the launch of the Quanta School exhibition. Kai Xiang and En Teng are two CQTians who feature in the classroom noticeboards at Quanta School.
Quanta School is open for admission! The new quantum exhibition at Science Centre Singapore was launched on 30 September 2025 by Mr Heng Swee Keat, Chairman of Singapore’s National Research Foundation.
The exhibition will run for a year.
Set in an unusual classroom where objects behave in surprising ways, Quanta School aims to demystify and make quantum science accessible and relatable through a mix of interactive exhibits and eye-catching displays.
CQT is proud to have contributed to the development of the exhibition. Quanta School is also supported by the Ministry of Education, the National Quantum Office, the National Research Foundation, the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), National Supercomputing Centre Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, and the National University of Singapore.
The exhibition is the latest in a series of events marking the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ) in Singapore. IYQ celebrates 100 years since the initial development of quantum mechanics and commits to raising public awareness about the importance and impact of quantum science.
“The launch of the Quanta School is our effort to support this global effort, by reaching out to schools, students and the public to demystify quantum science and inspire the next generation of scientists and innovators,” said Mr Heng Swee Keat in his opening address at the launch of Quanta School.
“Now, with this Quanta School exhibition, younger students will get a chance to start their quantum education early. Families can also better understand why this is an important area of science and technology for Singapore.”
Entry to the exhibition is included in Science Centre’s general admission ticket.
Enrolling in Quanta School
One of the most eye-catching features of the exhibition is its entrance. The floor-to-ceiling facade introduces quantum science with imagery, hinting at where classical physics gives way to quantum and depicting everyday objects powered by quantum science.
Visitors can then wander through Quanta School, exploring key quantum concepts such as wave-particle duality and superposition. For example, visitors can try their hand at Thomas Young’s famous double-slit experiment, which shows the wave behaviour of light and was first performed in 1801.
Elsewhere, visitors can slide polarised windows to find the class hamster. This introduces superposition through the strange effect of three polarisers, specifically oriented, letting more light through than two polarisers.
Other concepts introduced in the exhibition include probability, entanglement and uncertainty. In total, there are seven interactive exhibits, five display exhibits, two noticeboards on local research and assorted artefacts covering about 70 square metres.
Welcome to our class!
Visitors will learn about quantum research happening in Singapore at the classroom’s two noticeboards.
Projects are presented thematically through student reflections, teacher notes and news clippings. For example, CQT research on atomic clocks appears in a Quanta School News article, while quantum computing and quantum communication are covered in student’s work.
Several research artefacts contributed by CQT groups are also found across the exhibition space. They include a network switch used in the National Quantum-Safe Network testbed for quantum communication, integrated chips created for quantum computing experiments, and beta barium borate crystals that are used to make entangled photons.
Quantum scientists from CQT, local universities and A*STAR masquerade as students from Quanta School. Through their ‘student’ profiles on the noticeboard, the scientists share more about their research and a fun fact about themselves. If visitors have questions about the scientists’ research, or further questions about quantum physics in general, they can direct their questions to the larger quantum community in Singapore via a virtual question box.
Selected media coverage:
The Straits Times: https://www.straitstimes.com/tech/new-exhibition-in-science-centre-aims-to-demystify-quantum-science
Lianhe Zaobao: https://www.zaobao.com.sg/realtime/singapore/story20250930-7593736
