Implementation and goals of quantum optics experiments in undergraduate instructional labs

TL;DR

This paper surveys undergraduate quantum optics experiments, especially single-photon experiments, exploring their educational use, challenges faced by instructors, and strategies to enhance student learning in resource-limited settings.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of how instructors implement quantum optics experiments in undergraduate labs and identifies effective strategies for teaching complex quantum concepts.

Findings

Most instructors use single-photon experiments in undergraduate labs.

Students perform a range of actions from conceptual understanding to technical skills.

Instructors employ strategies to address challenges in teaching complex quantum experiments.

Abstract

As quantum information science and technology (QIST) is becoming more prevalent and occurring not only in research labs but also in industry, many educators are considering how best to incorporate learning about quantum mechanics into various levels of education. Although much of the focus has been on quantum concepts in non-lab courses, current work in QIST has a substantial experimental component. Many instructors of undergraduate lab courses want to provide their students the opportunity to work with quantum experiments. One common way this is done is through a sequence of quantum optics experiments often referred to as the ``single-photon experiments.'' These experiments demonstrate fundamental quantum phenomena with equipment common to research labs; however, they are resource intensive and cannot be afforded by all institutions. It is therefore imperative to know what unique affordances these experiments provide to students. As a starting point, we surveyed and interviewed instructors who use the single-photon experiments in undergraduate courses, asking how and why they use the experiments. We describe the most commonly used experiments in both quantum and beyond-first-year lab courses, the prevalence of actions the students perform, and the learning goals, ranging from conceptual knowledge to lab skills to student affect. Finally, we present some strategies from these data demonstrating how instructors have addressed the common challenges of preparing students to work with conceptually and technically complex experiments and balancing the practice of technical skills with the completion of the experiments.