Events

Check the Chicago Quantum Exchange (CQE) events calendar for regularly rescheduled in-person and online events.

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WHAT: US Quantum Information Science Summer School
WHEN: August 6 -15, 2023
WHERE: Fermilab in Batavia, Illinois
A hands-on, lecture-integrated summer school program for undergraduates, grad students, postdocs, scientists, engineers and technicians.  Learn from QIS experts across national labs, academia and industry. Learn More.

Who: Ania Jayich, Professor of Physics from University of California, Santa Barbara (website)

**Postponed due to COVID-19**

WHO: John Martinis – Google & University of California, Santa Barbara

WHEN: Fri., Jan. 31, 4:00-5:00 pm ** Refreshments will be served at 3:45 PM **

WHERE: Technological Institute, 2145 Sheridan Road, Room LR3

ABSTRACT: The promise of quantum computers is that certain computational tasks might be executed exponentially faster on a quantum processor than on a classical processor. A fundamental challenge is to build a high-fidelity processor capable of running quantum algorithms in an exponentially large computational space. Here we report the use of a processor with programmable superconducting qubits to create quantum states on 53 qubits, corresponding to a computational state-space of dimension 2^53 (about 10^16). Measurements from repeated experiments sample the resulting probability distribution, which we verify using classical simulations. Our Sycamore processor takes about 200 seconds to sample one instance of a quantum circuit a million times—our benchmarks currently indicate that the equivalent task for a state-of-the-art classical supercomputer would take approximately 10,000 years. This dramatic increase in speed compared to all known classical algorithms is an experimental realization of quantum supremacy for this specific computational task, heralding a much-anticipated computing paradigm.

Part of the Chicago Quantum Exchange Seminar Series

WHO: Ezekiel Johnston-Halperin – Professor, Department of Physics, Ohio State University

WHEN: Wed., Jan. 22, 11 am – 12 pm

WHERE: Ryan Hall, 2190 Campus Drive, Room 4003

ABSTRACT: The study of quantum coherent magnonic interactions relies implicitly on the ability to excite and exploit long lived spin wave excitations in a magnetic material. That requirement has led to the nearly universal reliance on yittrium iron garnet (YIG), which for half a century has reigned as the unchallenged leader in high-Q, low loss magnetic resonance, and more recently in the exploration of coherent quantum coupling between magnonic and spin or superconducting degrees of freedom. Surprisingly, the organic-based ferrimagnet vanadium tetracyanoethylene (V[TCNE]2) has recently emerged as a compelling alternative to YIG. Here, we will present evidence of coherent magnonic excitations in V[TCNE]2 thin films and nanostructures, pointing to magnon-magnon coupling that can be tuned into the strong coupling regime and spin-magnon coupling that allows for the transduction of quantum information from 0D to extended quantum states. These results demonstrate the remarkable potential for these structures to play a major role in the emerging field of quantum magnonics, with applications ranging from the creation of highly coherent magnon crystals to quantum sensing and information.

May 31, 2019
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM  

The proton and neutron, known as nucleons, are the fundamental building blocks of all atomic nuclei and make up essentially all the visible matter in the universe, including the stars, the planets, and us. The nucleon emerges as a strongly interacting, relativistic bound state of quarks and gluons in Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD), and has a complex internal structure only beginning to be revealed in modern experiments and lattice QCD calculations. Both theory and experimental technology have now reached a point where human is capable of exploring the inner structure of nucleons and nuclei at sub-femtometer distance, which is expected to lead to a new emerging science of nuclear femtography. In this talk, I will demonstrate that as exciting as the nano-science and technology has been, there must be a quantum transition when we enter the era of femto-science and technology. The newly upgraded CEBAF facility at Jefferson Lab and proposed Electron-Ion Collider (EIC) to be built in the US will be a pair of complementary and much needed facilities for exploring the nuclear femtography. They are the most powerful tomographic scanners able to precisely image quarks and gluons inside the proton and nuclei with a sub-femtometer resolution. The new CEBAF and EIC will address the most compelling unanswered questions about the elementary building blocks of the visible world, and are capable of taking us to the next frontier of the Standard Model of physics.

Event Information

May 29, 2019
2:00 PM – 3:30 PM

Recent advances in magnetism research are likely to have an important impact on electronics and information processing. These advances use the electron’s magnetic moment (spin) to transmit, write and store information. They enable new devices that operate at high speed with very low energy consumption. The information is stored in the orientation of electron magnetic moments in magnetic materials and can persist without power; energy is only needed to change the information. In this talk,  Prof. Andrew D. Kent will highlight the new physics concepts and materials that have enabled these advances and discuss some of their applications in information processing.

Event Information

April 26, 2019
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM  

Quantum mechanics plays a crucial, albeit often overlooked, role in our understanding of the Earth’s climate. In this talk by Dr. Brad Marston, three well known aspects of quantum mechanics are invoked to present a simple physical picture of what will happen as the concentrations of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide continue to increase. Historical and paleoclimatic records are interpreted with some basic astronomy, fluid mechanics, and the use of fundamental laws of physics such as the conservation of angular momentum. And, as a consequence of the rotation of the Earth that breaks time reversal symmetry, equatorially trapped Kelvin and Yanai waves emerge as topologically protected edge modes. Thus amazingly the oceans and atmosphere of Earth naturally share basic physics with topological insulators. Dr. Marston discussing some ways that physics might be able to contribute to a deeper understanding of climate change.

Event Information

April 17, 2019
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

Dervis Can Vural is an Assistant Professor specializing in condensed matter and biophysics. Professor Can Vural is interested in systems where (1) disorder and (2) strong interactions plays an important role. He uses analytic and computational approaches to solve many-body problems in statistical mechanics, condensed matter physics, and theoretical biology. Research themes include complex networks, population genetics and evolution, disordered / soft materials, many-body quantum mechanics, inverse problems, reliability theory, swarms and active matter.

Event Information

In October 2018, the Northwestern Office for Research hosted a symposium to explore of the state of quantum research at Northwestern University, identify Northwestern’s expertise, and catalyze new connections across the University. Over 35 speakers from 6 departments across McCormick School of Engineering and Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences presented their quantum-related research.

Agenda and information is available (Northwestern NetID required).