Category: Physics

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Missed This: New John Baez Blog

Hmm, I’m totally out of it as I missed that John Baez, who “blogged” before blogging was the incredibly hip thing to do (which lasted for exactly 2 seconds in 2006?) has a new blog, a new two year visiting position in Singapore, and a new focus.  From his first post:

I hope we talk about many things here: from math to physics to earth science, biology, computer science, economics, and the technologies of today and tomorrow – but in general, centered around the theme of what scientists can do to help save the planet.

Quick, to the RSS feeder!

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Interview With Guifre Vidal

Sciencewatch interview with Guifre Vidal:

Apart from enormously stimulating experimental research, which has led to impressive progress in our ability to control quantum systems, thinking about quantum computers has given birth to a new way of looking at quantum mechanical problems, including a new framework and new tools to address strongly correlated quantum many-body systems.

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Hybrid Research/IT Position at PI

Rob sends me information about an interesting new position at the Perimeter Institute (more info here):

The Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics (PI) is looking for a Scientific IT specialist — a creative individual with experience in both scientific research and information technology (IT). This is a new, hybrid, research/IT position within the Institute, dedicated to helping PI’s scientific staff make effective use of IT resources. It has two clear missions. First, to directly assist researchers in using known, available IT tools to do their research. Second, to uncover or develop cutting-edge IT resources, introduce and test them with PI researchers, and then share the things we create and discover with the worldwide scientific community.
By “tools”, we mean almost anything. Coding techniques are an obvious example. Collaboration and communication technologies are another: tools for peer-to-peer interactions (such as skype), virtual whiteboards, video conferencing tools, platforms for running virtual conferences (that can do justice to talks in the mathematical sciences), and novel ways of presenting research results such as archives for recorded seminars, blogs, and wikis. Further examples include tools for helping researchers organize information (e.g., specialized search engines and filtering schemes), and end-user software that facilitates bread-and-butter scientific activities like writing papers collaboratively, preparing presentations, and organizing references.
We are seeking a person who brings an independent and ambitious vision that will help define this vision. The job is as yet quite malleable in its scope and duties! We’re looking for someone who is inspired by the possibility that new IT tools can improve or perhaps even revolutionize the way that physics research is done, and someone who can take full advantage of a mandate to create and implement that vision.
Some Duties and Responsibilities:

  • Act as a knowledge broker among Researchers. That is, find and test new programs and practices, advertise them, and be prepared to train others in their use.
  • Participate in the creation of a high quality “standard” Researcher IT environment (desktop hardware, software set-up), built from a mix of open source software and popular commercial packages.
  • Help with High Performance Computing demands.
  • Maintain expert level knowledge in the use of the main packages used by Researchers, including Mathematica, Maple, LaTex, etc.

For the official job ad, go here:
http://www.perimeterinstitute.ca/Scientific/Applications/Scientific_IT_Specialist/

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Hella! Huh? Meh. + "How Many Licks? Or, How to Estimate Damn Near Anything"

What prefix do you use for 1027? If Austin Sendak has his way, it will be ">hella (also Time article here.) The diameter of the observable universe is about one hellameter. As a fellow member of the club “people from Yreka, CA who do physics,” I strongly support Austin’s idea. Indeed it now tops my list of proposed prefix changes, a list that includes “tiny-” for 10-5 and my former front runner for 1027 “bronto-.”
But the real question is what do we call 10x when we don’t know x? I suggest the prefix “huh”. Examples: “My answer of about 5 huh-people wasn’t good enough to land me a job at McKinsey and Company.” “Einstein calculated that the cosmological constant was about huh inverse seconds squared.”
Another prefix that is needed is to express when you don’t really care what the hell the size is. For this I might suggest “meh.” Example: “The circumference of a African swallow’s leg is about mehmeters, thus rendering it incapable of carrying a coconut.”
Which reminds me. A while back I got a review copy of How Many Licks?: Or, How to Estimate Damn Near Anything by Aaron Santos. Aaron has written a delightful little book on order of magnitude estimations. It’s full of fun little questions (how long would it take you to dig to China using a spoon. Well not very long if you are Chinese!) and then a description of a guess on how to calculate these sizes. He of uncertain principles reviewed the book earlier, and while I agree with the criticisms, I also think perhaps people like the uncertain principlizer and myself aren’t really the best audience for this book. The proper audience, to me, seems to be elementary to high school kids who are just learning the idea that “rate times time equals distance.” Thus I wouldn’t give it as a present to a college age student, but for a young kid who shows some interest in science I think its extremely important to learn how to estimate and to think hard about sizes and what particular numbers really mean, and this book nicely fills this niche.

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March Meeting Quantum Computing Schedule

The APS March meeting is next week as 10000 physicists invade Portland, Oregon. I hope Powell’s bookstore has stocked their science sections well! GQI, the topical group on quantum information, sponsors a good number of sessions at the meeting including sessions with invited talks, focus sessions, and general sessions. Below the fold I’m assembling a list of quantum computing sessions, but before the fold I’d like to point out the invited sessions, which have longer speaking slots where one can actually learn more than the speakers name and research project title, that are sponsored or cosponsored by GQI (also below note the Focus sessions listed below have invited speakers)

  • Monday, March 15 8:00am-11:00am Session A8: Quantum Opto-Mechanics
    Room: Portland Ballroom 255
    (Jointly sponsored with DAMOP)
    Invited speakers: Jack Harris, Klemens Hammerer, Philipp Treutlein, Nathaniel Brahms, Keith Schwab
  • Monday, March 15 11:15am-2:15pm Session B6: Controlling Dissipation in Quantum Systems
    Room: Portland Ballroom 253
    (Jointly sponsored with DAMOP)
    Invited Speakers: Frank Verstraete, Hans Peter Buechler, Matthias Lettner, Luis A. Orozco, Sergio Boixo
  • Monday, March 15 2:30pm-5:30pm Session D4: Quantum Computer Science
    Room: Oregon Ballroom 204 Invited Speakers: Graeme Smith, Aram Harrow, Ben Reichardt, Sandy Irani, Stephanie Wehner
  • Thursday, March 18 11:15am-1:40pm Session W6: Superconducting Qubits
    Room: Portland Ballroom 253
    Invited Speakers: Radoslaw Bialczak, Franco Nori, Leonardo DiCarlo, Sahel Ashhab

Continue reading “March Meeting Quantum Computing Schedule”

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Posthumous ArXiv Posting

Hm, today we seem to have a posting from beyond the grave, arXiv:1003.2133:

Proof of the Ergodic Theorem and the H-Theorem in Quantum Mechanics
Authors: John von Neumann
Abstract: It is shown how to resolve the apparent contradiction between the macroscopic approach of phase space and the validity of the uncertainty relations. The main notions of statistical mechanics are re-interpreted in a quantum-mechanical way, the ergodic theorem and the H-theorem are formulated and proven (without “assumptions of disorder”), followed by a discussion of the physical meaning of the mathematical conditions characterizing their domain of validity.

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Quantum Computing Postdoc at LPS

A theoretical condensed matter postdoc of interest to the quantum computing folks:

Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Theoretical Condensed Matter and Quantum Information Science at the Laboratory for Physical Sciences, University of Maryland.
Applications are being accepted for physics postdoctoral research positions in quantum information and device theory at the Laboratory for Physical Sciences (LPS) at the University of Maryland-College Park. Demonstrated expertise in one or more of the following categories is desired: semiconductor/condensed-matter physics, solid-state quantum computing (e.g. spins in semiconductors or diamond, superconductors, etc.), quantum information science, many-body condensed matter physics, simulation of quantum systems, computational physics, quantum error correction/prevention, quantum optics, and related subjects.
Positions are available immediately in the groups of Drs. Frank Gaitan, Ari Mizel, and Charles Tahan. Interested candidates are invited to seek more information or submit an electronic application addressed to Charles Tahan at ctahan [thisisanatsybol] lps.umd.edu. Applications should include a CV, a summary of research interests, publications list, and the electronic (email) contact details of two references.
The University of Maryland is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and particularly welcomes applications from women and members of minority groups.
QUANTUM COMPUTING AT LPS
The quantum computing group at LPS consists of both experimentalists and theorists focused on various aspects of solid-state quantum computers, condensed matter theory, and quantum information science. Opportunities to collaborate with researchers at the University of Maryland Physics Department, the Joint Quantum Institute, nearby NIST and NRL are ample.
ABOUT THE LABORATORY FOR PHYSICAL SCIENCES
Located adjacent to the University of Maryland’s College Park Campus, the Laboratory for Physical Sciences is a unique facility where university and federal government personnel collaborate on research in advanced communication and computer technologies. The Lab for Physical Sciences is also a member of the Joint Quantum Institute together with NIST and UMD.

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Some Quantum Events

Summer school:

We would like to inform you of the upcoming 10th Canadian Summer School on Quantum Information & Research Workshop.
Save the dates: July 17-30, 2010
Location: University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC
For more information, visit our website: qi10.ca
Contact us: info [atatat] qi10.ca
This summer school on quantum information marks the 10th anniversary of the highly renowned series. This year the emphasis will be on quantum algorithms and models of quantum computation, with particular attention to mathematical methods. This summer school also includes a research workshop on quantum algorithms, computational models, and foundations of quantum mechanics, held during July 23 – 25. We would appreciate that you help to disseminate the information of this event to your colleauges, postdocs and students.
Confirmed speakers include:
* Boris Altshuler, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
* Hans J. Briegel, Universität Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
* Daniel E. Browne, University College London, UK
* Andrew Childs, University of Waterloo, Canada
* Steve Flammia,Perimeter Institute, Waterloo, ON, Canada
* Chris Godsil, University of Waterloo, Canada
* Daniel Gottesman, Perimeter Institute, Waterloo, ON, Canada
* Daniel Lidar, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
* Maarten van den Nest, Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik, Garching, Germany
* David Poulin,Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
* Frank Verstraete, Universität Wien, Austria
* Pawel Wocjan, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA
Please feel free to contact us if you have questions regarding the summer school and research workshop. For more information, visit our website at qi10.ca, or give us an email at info [at at at] qi10.ca.

Conference in Austria…looks like a very scenic location:

I would like to draw your attention to the upcoming ESF-FWF-LFUI Conference on Quantum Engineering of States and Devices, which will be held in Obergurgl, Austria, 5-10 June 2010.
The full conference programme is accessible online from http://www.esf.org/conferences/10312 and the closing date for applications is on 14 March.