Dear All,
Here is the
ITAMP
postdoc candidate talk scheduled for today:
Igor Pikovsk
i
University of Vienna
Date: January 13, 2014
Time: 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Location: Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden
S
treet, B-105
Title:
Macroscopic quantum systems and gravitational phenomena
Abstract:
The ability to manipulate and to control quantum systems offers a promising route for
testing our current understanding of physics. In this talk I will consider opto-mechanical
and other quantum optical systems to show how they can be used to probe the interplay
between quantum theory and general relativity. I will show that pulsed opto-mechanical
systems allow for quantum state preparation and quantum state tomography of a massive
mechanical resonator and that such systems can be used to study phenomenological models of
quantum gravity in which the quantum uncertainty relation is modified. In the second part
of the talk, I will consider a quantum version of the "twin paradox" in which a
clock is brought in superposition of being at two different gravitational potentials. Such
setups can test the effect of general relativistic time dilation on a quantum wave
function and can be implemented either in matter-wave interferometry with internal degrees
of freedom or with photons. In addition, I will show that time dilation causes universal
decoherence of all composite quantum systems and thus causes the transition to
classicality for gram-scale systems. The results presented in this talk highlight that the
interplay between quantum theory and general relativity offers novel phenomena even at low
energies and that such a regime be accessed with quantum optical experiments.
Many Thanks
Naomi
--
Naomi Tariri
Program Coordinator
The Institute for Theoretical Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics
60 Garden Street, MS 14
Cambridge MA 02138
617-495-9524<tel:617-495-9524> |
http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/itamp/
--
Naomi Tariri
Program Coordinator
The Institute for Theoretical Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics
60 Garden Street, MS 14
Cambridge MA 02138
617-495-9524 |
http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/itamp/