Russian Students Build a Virtual Lab for Quantum Experiments
A digital twin of a real physics lab could make quantum science accessible to anyone, anywhere.
Students at Russia’s National Research Nuclear University MEPhI have developed a virtual quantum laboratory that allows users to perform complex physics experiments online — no multimillion-dollar equipment required. The platform is designed to let high school and university students explore the fundamentals of quantum mechanics through immersive digital simulations.
One of the lab’s first modules replicates the Mach–Zehnder interferometer, a precision optical device used in quantum measurement. While only a few major research universities have access to such equipment, the virtual version can be used remotely by anyone with a computer, bringing high-end science tools into classrooms across the country.
Quantum Tech for Everyone
The project’s leader, MEPhI student German Subbotin, said the goal was to make quantum technologies more accessible by combining the university’s expertise in simulation and physics education. His team hopes the lab will become a national standard for teaching quantum mechanics and help train the next generation of engineers and scientists.
New experimental modules are already in development, expanding the platform’s capabilities beyond optics to cover quantum computing and materials science.
For now, MEPhI’s digital lab is proof that with the right code — and a bit of imagination — you don’t need a billion-dollar facility to explore the quantum world.
