Semester:
Offered:
Ashvin Vishwanath (Department of Physics)
First-Year Seminar 52D 4 credits Enrollment: Limited to 12
In his final attack on quantum physics, Albert Einstein identified a property of the theory that he found so strange that he termed it "spooky." Decades later, numerous experiments have shown that nature behaves in exactly the strange way predicted by quantum mechanics, and the essential ingredient for this astonishing behavior is mainly what we now call quantum entanglement—a powerful but highly fragile resource with important applications. This has triggered a surge of recent interest, perhaps even a "second quantum revolution," and a race to develop technologies that benefit from quantum entanglement. Proposed applications range from secure quantum communication and cryptography, to the holy grail—an all-purpose quantum computer. Evaluating the potential and timescale for these technologies has been especially hard. Few people in industry possess the necessary quantum background to make a reasoned evaluation. In this seminar we will approach fundamental concepts in quantum mechanics, using only simple mathematics and demonstrations to convey its unfamiliar logic. We will then survey the "first quantum revolution" which led to the transistor and nuclear technology as a previous example of quantum applications. Finally, we will have an open-ended conversation on modern quantum technologies, with guest speakers from both academia and industry. The seminar deliverables will be a final essay with two parts, the first part reviewing an existing application, the second part on the future of quantum technologies which you will compose combining your newly acquired scientific insight with more practical, economic and sociological considerations.
Note: There will be a required trip to MIT with no cost to the student.
Prerequisites: This seminar has some, but not a very high, background knowledge requirement—some knowledge of probability, linear algebra at the level of vectors and matrices. Target audience, apart from those interested in the physical sciences, includes prospective engineers & perhaps students interested in economics or business.