NIST & University of Colorado, Boulder
Thursday, November 6th 2014, 18:00
Stephen Leacock Building, Leacock Auditorium (room 132)
Quantum computers and Schrödinger's cat
As the size of computer logic gates and memory elements approaches the
atomic scale, we are forced to deal with the constraints imposed by the laws
of quantum mechanics. However, we now also know that a computer based on
quantum mechanics could solve certain problems that are intractable on
conventional computers. Interestingly, if this device could be made on a
large scale it would have the same characteristics as Erwin Schrödinger's
famous 1935 hypothetical cat that could be both dead and alive at the same
time. I will briefly relate how our group at NIST became involved in these
topics through our experiments on atomic ions, but these only serve as
examples of similar work being performed in many other laboratories around
the world.
Friday, November 7th 2014, 15:30
Ernest Rutherford Physics Building, Keys Auditorium (room 112)
Single-atom optical clocks
With the availability of spectrally pure lasers and the ability to precisely
measure optical frequencies, it appears the era of optical atomic clocks
has begun. In one clock project at NIST we have used single trapped atomic
ions because uncertainties in systematic effects are smallest, reaching a
fractional error of Δf/f0 = 0.8 x 10-17. At this level, many
interesting effects, including those due to special and general relativity,
must be calibrated and corrected for.
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