Introduction

This summer in Oxford, I experienced work shadowing at Quantum Dice, and to summarise it in a few words: it was exactly what I thought it would be. It is immensely interesting, cutting-edge technology being developed by this start-up company and I am extremely grateful to have had this opportunity to see how everything works behind the scenes at the relatively young age of 16. I found the use of quantum technology for a quantum random number generator (QRNG) to be very creative and a useful application of this technology, which brings it more into the technological side of things rather than the academic.

The shadowing

My mentor, John Goward, the Head of Photonics here, was extremely helpful and considerate. He explained his work and the technology behind it in a very digestible and fascinating way. He went into detail with mainly laser diodes, indium phosphide chips, and optical fibres, as well as explaining all the basics of photonics which enabled me to understand far more about the more intricate parts of his work and how it connects with the other departments to design and manufacture the products. I think the most valuable point I learned from shadowing John Goward is the sheer importance of photonics and how important it is becoming, soon to become a far more widely used technology which has many benefits over electronics. My further understanding of photonics has made me very interested in this field and I am looking forward to reading more on it in my own time.

Meetings I observed

During my time at Quantum Dice, I also joined a discussion with a third-party organisation about certain choices involved in producing a component on a large-scale production line. Participating in-person was an experience I have not had before. It was valuable for me to see this and witness how these meetings happen behind the scenes to create a product and make sure everything goes smoothly. I was also part of another meeting which was based around networking with other companies to look into the future of this technology. This gave me a good insight into what there is to expect in the future, and witness how it is planned so far in advance. The networking in this meeting also inspired me a lot and made me realise how many people play a role in developing such a revolutionary set of QRNG products.

Conclusion and final thoughts

Overall, this experience has been immensely valuable for me as it is not like any other opportunity I have had. This was a detailed look into cutting-edge technology, computing, hardware choices, and so much more. Seeing it all come together was extremely inspiring and it has expanded my future choices and given me a more open mind concerning the field I want to pursue in the future. I would recommend more students my age to take up opportunities such as these as they will give you a broader idea about what you might want to do. It will inspire you to do more in the future and potentially inspire you to become an entrepreneur in your preferred field!

Credits

Finally, I’d like to thank the whole Quantum Dice team for explaining their work so well and passionately, and loving what they do. Special thanks go to my mentor, John Goward, and to co-founder Wenmiao Yu for organising this incredible work shadowing scheme. I had a phenomenal time in both work scenarios and during break/lunch times where I got to know the others in my cohort, and other members of the Quantum Dice team, who were considerate and helpful. I have learned countless facts from many different fields, and I will revere this opportunity and my learnings from here for years to come!