1 Qubit is a quantum artwork installation that models the transformative state of the archetypal unit of quantum information, the qubit, using classical computation to approximate and render quantum measurements into a physical, observable form.
By combining a custom-built classical computer, microcontrollers, and a smart polarizing film, the work simulates the state of a qubit as it undergoes a quantum circuit, exploring different configurations before collapsing under the observation of the audience. Audiences interact with a set of quantum gates on the sculpture, which manipulate the system and reshape the probability landscape that determines the qubit’s visual outcome when measured.
Presented in an amalgamated metal chassis, the work attempts to reflect the stochastic nature of quantum states while juxtaposing the calculation of quantum circuits on a classical machine, abstracting the process of quantum measurements, classically, into a tangible form.
