QWave: Celebrating Quantum Day 2025 in Armenia

On 14–15 April 2025, Armenian students and researchers joined the global celebration of World Quantum Day through a two-day event — Quantum Day 2025 — organised as part of the QWave initiative. Held at the Russian-Armenian University (RAU), this was one of the country’s flagship events marking the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology.

The event opened on 14 April with inspiring lectures by Professors Nika Akopian (Technical University of Denmark) and Armen Allahverdyan (A.I. Alikhanyan National Laboratory). Academician Prof. Eduard Kazaryan (RAU) and Dr Vahram Mekhitarian (Institute for Physical Research) delivered popular science talks to school children, making complex ideas accessible and exciting.

On 15 April, the focus turned to hands-on exploration. Participants, divided into mentor-led teams, carried out experiments in the Quantum Nanophotonics Lab — exchanging encrypted messages via fibre optics and polarised light, and learning about quantum security through the Alice and Bob protocol.

QWave, an initiative of RAU and the NAS Radiant Minds Student Chapter, is dedicated to celebrating the International Year of Quantum Science 2025 by organising a series of scientific and educational events. Quantum Day 2025 was one of the highlights, providing a platform for participants to engage with quantum science and explore its real-world applications.

The event was organised with support from SPIE, Optica, and the EPS Young Minds Programme, and gathered over 100 participants, fostering collaboration between academia, students, and schools, while highlighting Armenia’s active contribution to the global quantum community.