King's College London

Scientists from the Department of Physics have been selected to showcase their work on the unseen wonder of light as part of the Royal Society’s prestigious annual Summer Science Exhibition.

Between 2 – 7 July, Drs James Millen, Margarita Khokhlova and Emilio Pisanty will be presenting their work on the brilliant properties of light and photonics through a series of popular exhibitions looking at levitation, with one yet to be revealed.

Alongside post-graduate researchers and MSc students across the Department of Physics, the team will be showing keen members of the public demonstrations that help visualise the exciting ways light interacts with the world, including the force it exerts on it. These will include ‘Seeing the Unthinkable’, a collaboration with artist Steven Claydon which captures levitating nano-particles with electrical fields and explores how they interact with human interference, previously exhibited at the Science Gallery London.

Levitation continues to be a key experimental avenue to understand and observe the limits of quantum physics and quantum theories of gravity, as well as playing a key role in the precision sensing technology used in smoke detectors and medical systems.

By levitating light, rapidly spinning nanoparticles, researchers can not only use these particles as sensors to detect forces like gas pressure and electric fields, but also to detect incredibly small forces predicted by quantum mechanics but never observed in experiments.

First begun in 1778 by then President of the Royal Society Joseph Banks, what were then known as ‘Conversaziones’ allowing Fellows to show their latest scientific breakthroughs have since evolved into one of the largest sites of science engagement in the UK. The scientists from King’s will follow in the footsteps of Thomas Edison and Captain Robert Scott, who showcased the first incandescent lamps and natural history specimens there respectively.

Dr Khokhlova said of the opportunity to exhibit, “The Summer Science Exhibition is an iconic event and a magical chance to bring together curious minds, eager to learn about the mysteries of the world around us, and the scientists who are passionate to share their work unpicking life’s mysteries.

It is going to be a huge pleasure and great fun to show people of all ages and backgrounds what the cutting-edge research at King's can do.”

The team this year join a number of groups and individuals from King’s who have played a prominent role in the Summer Exhibition throughout the years, including the School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences whose exhibit ‘Micro-robotics for eye surgery’ was shown last year.

Of the Summer Science Exhibition, Professor Carlos Frenk, a cosmologist, Fellow of the Royal Society and Chair of the Public Engagement Committee, said:

“From the batteries that power our phones to the unknown wonders of the distant universe, scientific breakthroughs and discoveries are all around us and changing the world we live in and how we view it.

“The annual Summer Science Exhibition is an incredible showcase of some of this mind-blowing research and offers visitors unparalleled access to the new ideas and technologies that are shaping and changing society at an unprecedented rate.

“With a carefully curated selection of 14 inspiring and engaging flagship exhibits, there will be something new and exciting to discover for everyone.”