Quantum Garden
Quantum Garden is an interactive installation that simulates a quantum particle when you touch any of the 228 springs.
Partners
The project is a collaboration between the University of Turku, the School of Science and the School of Arts, Design and Architecture at Aalto University and it is sponsored by the Centre for Quantum Engineering (CQE).
Science
The input from the springs is used to generate an input to a simulation algorithm, which outputs a result that is then visualised on the LEDs as concentric circles. Basically, the bigger the circles, the better the result.
The simulation is a classic approximation of a quantum computing problem.
The underlying process is called 'STIRAP', Stimulated Raman adiabatic passage. It's a fairly advanced process, and it's hard to find an easy to digest introduction to it. Roughly speaking, it's modelling some form of transfer from one quantum state into another. In the installation, the middle rings are the initial state, and the outer rings correspond to the (ideal) final state.
The in- and outputs are recorded for later analysis by the scientists.
More Coverage
Here is the dedicated website for the project: quantum.garden
Another video (on twitter): https://twitter.com/Robin_B/status/1063878815406014465