New interactive learning modules for the classroom

The QOOOL Sensing project is drawing to a close. This also marks the start of the next phase: the learning content developed as part of the project and tested with school pupils has now been published in the form of several interactive learning courses: https://qoool-sensing.org/en/quantum-interactive/lernmaterialien/

What was previously taught, developed and tested primarily through direct interaction with participants is now permanently available as a learning resource.

Here is a brief overview of the three new courses:

1. Neural firing – visualising magnetic fields in the brain

How can we explain why magnetic field measurements using NV magnetometers are relevant in the first place? Our experience shows that, for many pupils, the significance of this technology is not immediately apparent. The ‘Neural Firing’ course therefore begins with an application whose importance is immediately obvious: the measurement of electrical activity in the brain. Brain waves play an important role in medical diagnosis and treatment – but how can they be measured without cutting through conductors or using conventional current-measuring devices? This is where magnetic field measurement comes into play. Electric currents generate magnetic fields, and it is precisely these that can be detected using an NV magnetometer. Accompanied by an experiment, this interactive course guides learners step by step from a familiar problem to the quantum physics underlying the measurement method. This provides a clear and experimental introduction to the world of NV magnetometry.

2. Conductivity Analysis – Quantum Physics in Industry

The individual courses are largely independent of one another. However, the course ‘Conductor Path Analysis’ plays a special role: it demonstrates how NV magnetometers are already of interest for industrial applications today. The focus is on printed circuit boards – products we encounter constantly in our everyday lives, but whose manufacture and functioning we rarely give much thought to. The course provides insights into industrial manufacturing and draws parallels with the development of ever more powerful computer chips. In this way, quantum physics as taught in school textbooks is directly linked to cutting-edge technological developments: from the fundamentals of magnetic field measurement right through to electronics, computer chips and applications in the field of artificial intelligence. The course also takes a hands-on approach: taking on the role of a printed circuit board manufacturer, the learners set out to find hidden production faults. As in the other courses, the QOOOL Kit Magneto serves as the measuring instrument, which is guided across the printed circuit board like a sensor pen.

3. Geopositioning – From the compass to quantum measurement

Whilst the first two courses primarily use the intensity of NV fluorescence as a means of measuring magnetic fields, the ‘Geopositioning’ course delves increasingly deeply into the physics involved. The course begins with something very familiar: the compass. Students discover that a compass does not behave in the same way everywhere on Earth and that, for example, in South America, the compass may take significantly longer to align. This leads to the question of just how precisely one’s position on Earth can actually be determined – and what role magnetic measurements can play in this. From there, the course moves step by step towards more modern positioning methods and ultimately to the physical principles of ODMR measurement. A small 3D-printed globe accompanies the experimental part of the course, allowing students to experience the relationships spatially as well.

These three courses enable learners to explore various applications of NV magnetometers – ranging from medical applications and industrial quality control to navigation and geopositioning. The courses are deliberately loosely linked in sequence, allowing learners to explore different aspects of NV magnetometry and the underlying quantum physics according to their interests. Anyone wishing to delve deeper afterwards can try out further applications or explore the physical principles.

We hope you enjoy trying them out!