Making Quantum States of Light With Moving Mirrors
- Speaker
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Cindy Regal, Ph.D.Associate Professor of Physics, Baur-SPIE Professor at JILA, University of Colorado Boulder
This lecture is part of the “The Third Quantum Revolution,” the 2023 lecture series theme in physics. The first quantum revolution began with the discovery of quantum mechanics, which ultimately led to the invention of the transistor, the laser and the atomic clock. The second revolution enabled the control of small systems of particles and experimental demonstration of entanglement and non-locality — work that was recently recognized with the 2022 Nobel Prize in physics. We are now on the verge of a third quantum revolution, enabling the control of large quantum systems to forge previously unrealized quantum technologies. These talks will explore the many dimensions of this third revolution, from basic physics to quantum computing, communication and sensing.
2023 Lecture Series Themes
Biology: Microbiomes
Neuroscience and Autism Science: The Neuroscience of Sleep
Physics: The Third Quantum Revolution
Mathematics and Computer Science: Waves
Simons Foundation Presidential Lectures are free public colloquia centered on four main themes: Biology, Physics, Mathematics and Computer Science, and Neuroscience and Autism Science. These curated, high-level scientific talks feature leading scientists and mathematicians and are intended to foster discourse and drive discovery among the broader NYC-area research community. We invite those interested in the topic to join us for this weekly lecture series.
Over the last few decades, experimental physicists have observed quantum effects in the vibrations of mechanical resonators in a surprising range of experiments and sizes of objects. Achieving the quantum regime with the tangible motion of solid objects has piqued physicists’ curiosity and enabled new approaches to difficult tasks in manipulating quantum information.
In this lecture, Cindy Regal will present experiments that measure the motion of drumlike mirrors and discuss how the experiments evolved from a rich history of read-out and control in quantum optics and precision measurement. She will highlight her team’s current efforts to use mechanical motion as a link between quantum states in disparate parts of the electromagnetic spectrum.
About the Speaker
Regal is the Baur-SPIE associate professor of physics at the University of Colorado and a fellow of JILA, a joint institute between CU Boulder and the National Institutes of Standards and Technology. Her work in experimental quantum science has developed new platforms for the optical manipulation of both atoms and the vibrations of solids. She is a fellow of the American Physical Society and has received scientific awards, including a Presidential Early Career Award and a Packard Fellowship.