Emerging Applications of Quantum Mechanics

8:30 Registration : B1-09

8:50 Zoom session opens

8:55 Welcome : B1-09

9:00  Dr. Lindsay LeBlanc, Dept of Physics, University of Alberta

 Making and making use of the coldest stuff in the universe: Ultracold atoms for quantum technologies

Quantum mechanics emerged from an evolving understanding of atoms in the early twentieth century, giving birth to the field of atomic physics, which has since then collected an impressive collection of tools and techniques for understanding and controlling the quantum properties of matter. In recent decades, the ability to control the speed, and thus the temperature, of gaseous atoms using the momentum of light has ushered in a new wave of experiments and techniques that explore collective and communal effects as these very quantum mechanical objects work together. In our lab at the University of Alberta, we employ laser cooling and trapping techniques to create Bose-Einstein condensates, some of the coldest matter in the universe. We use this platform both to explore the fundamental physics of many-particle quantum systems, and to exploit the quantum properties of these ultracold gases for technological applications. In particular, our lab has developed an atomic quantum memory that facilitates the transfer of quantum information from light to an atom-based memory, and back to light again: a key component in quantum communications and a future quantum internet.

10:00  Wellness Break

10:30  Dr. John Donahue, Institute for Quantum Computing, University of Waterloo

 The Two Rules of Quantum Mechanics  

Our eyes can only perceive a tiny fraction of the electromagnetic spectrum. In this contribution, I will show how off how the invisible part of the spectrum can give us a new perspectives on the Universe. I will present the different types of non-optical astronomy, and describe how the types of light need different types of telescopes to observe. I will focus on new images and results from the James Webb Space Telescope that was launched almost one year ago.

11:45  Zoom session closes

11:45 We make our to the University Club for for  Lunch at 12:00

13:00  Lunch ends and we walk back to CCIS

13:15 Workshop: CCIS Physics UGL 
Dr. John Donahue

A Hands-On Approach to Quantum Bits

In this hands-on workshop, we’ll show how the superposition and measurement principles of quantum mechanics can be applied in quantum technologies. First, we’ll build our own quantum cryptography systems, where quantum measurement disturbance enables secure communication. Next, we’ll explore a simple quantum algorithm in the context of Mach-Zehnder interferometers.

15:00 Wellness Break

1515: Department of Physics Colloquium  CCIS  1-430

Dr. Joseph Maciejko, Dept of Physics, University of Alberta

Matter and Information:
the Second Quantum Revolution

Quantum mechanics emerged in the 1920s as an esoteric new theory of atoms and subatomic particles that would end up revolutionizing physics. One hundred years later, we are at the dawn of a “second quantum revolution”, where fundamental advances in quantum physics are beginning to drive new technological breakthroughs. In this colloquium, I will first talk about what makes quantum mechanics so weird and interesting. I will then argue that in the past few decades, the notion of quantum entanglement has tremendously expanded our understanding of what states of matter are possible, and how information can be stored and processed.

16:15  Wrap up