Photon bricks - LEGO and lasers

Photon Bricks is a LEGO-based interferometer developed by researchers at the University of Nottingham’s Gravity Laboratory to make the techniques we use in cutting-edge physics research more accessible and engaging. In this workshop, attendees can set up the interferometer kits themselves, see them in action, and learn the basic principles of interferometry. Our kits come as open-source hardware – you are welcome to download resource materials from our website to build your own LEGO interferometer, or to fill out the form to join our free-of-charge kit loan scheme for one of our partly pre-assembled kits. Our aim with the loan scheme is to make hands-on science accessible to as many learners as possible, regardless of their background or budget, and to support teachers’ work in the classroom. We also welcome loan requests from other organisations with a genuine interest in science. The kits are most relevant for secondary and older pupils, embracing a hands-on approach with LEGO bricks that are suitable for classroom use. The fully functional LEGO interferometer sets are designed to replicate expensive professional optical equipment, using our LEGO optics mounts to guide the lasers to form interference provides a tangible, captivating hands-on experience of what optical physicists do in the lab every day. With easy-to-follow instructions, these kits serve as valuable teaching aids, inspiring the next generation of scientists. Featuring lasers, mirrors, and beam-splitters, the kits demonstrate the principles of waves, optics, lasers and interferometry. When two laser beams meet, they create a striking interference pattern of light and dark stripes. This pattern can shift dramatically in response to even the tiniest changes in the beams’ paths, changes far too small for our eyes to detect. Interferometry has a range of practical applications that touch our daily lives, including optometry and navigation rotation sensing. In science, interferometry plays a crucial role in quantum experiments, and in detecting gravitational waves, which are ripples in spacetime caused by massive cosmic events, allowing astronomers to gain new insights into the Universe. Photon Bricks is developed as part of ARTlab, an ArtScience initiative at the University of Nottingham. ARTlab’s mission is to engage the public, widen research communities, host artists in residency programs, and promote playful approaches to science. https://artlab-nottingham.com/lego/