title: quantum music #001
type: algorithmic composition based on quantum mechanics sonification
year: 2015
author/composer: Alexandros Kontogeorgakopoulos (composition, programming), Daniel Burgarth (research in physics)
funded by: a consortium of Welsh universities (Welsh Crucible) in partnership with the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales
first exhibition: Athens Science Festival, March 2015
In this project sonification and electroacoustic composition techniques to represent simulated controlled quantum dynamics were explored for the first time. An intuitive sonification process was suggested, in order to represent acoustically and musically an important quantum phenomenon that is used in quantum computation. An interesting problem in this field has been to understand why states floats back and forth between a number of configurations, seemingly unguided, and yet almost miraculously reach target eventually. Through Parameter-Mapping-Sonification the dynamics of this microscopic peculiar system were explored. In the current research, the sonification choices have both a functional and an aesthetic goal. A sound-installation has been created and presented in various locations and was first premiered in the Athens Science Festival 2015.
More info about the research of the work can be found in the paper Sonification of Controlled Quantum Dynamics, in the Proceedings of International Computer Music Conference - Sound and Music Computing Conference ICMC- SCM2014.