May 15 2013
Measure twice, cut once. This proverb of accuracy is not only taken seriously by do-it-yourself enthusiasts, but by scientists who continually strive to make ever increasingly accurate measurements in order to elicit more of nature’s secrets.
Within quantum mechanics, where atomic and subatomic particles are in a consistent state of flux, measurement is seen as a paradox that frustrates and intrigues physicists. This problem leads some studying the quantum world to argue that, when it comes to precision, measuring things ‘weakly’ has significant advantages.
On Wednesday, June 5, 2013, as part of Perimeter Institute’s Public Lecture Series presented by Sun Life Financial, physics Professor Aephraim Steinberg tackles the complexities of measurement within the field of quantum mechanics. While being an immensely powerful and precise theory, which seems to describe everything in the world except gravity, quantum mechanics contends that measuring an object inevitably disturbs it. This has left scientists and philosophers alike puzzled.
One example of this is the phenomenon that the more accurately we know the position of a quantum particle, the less certain we are of its momentum. In turn, if we know the quantum particle momentum very accurately, we know nothing about its position. Professor Steinberg will share some recent ideas revolutionizing the view of quantum measurement, in particular – that sometimes, less is more.
Aephraim Steinberg is a Professor of Physics at the University of Toronto, where he is a founding member of the Centre for Quantum Information and Quantum Control. His group carries out research using the experimental tools of quantum optics and laser-cooled atoms to address fundamental problems in quantum mechanics such as "what is the best way to measure a quantum system?" and "can quantum information be compressed?" Steinberg obtained his B.Sc. at Yale, and spent a year working with future Nobel laureate Serge Haroche in Paris before moving to Berkeley to do his Ph.D. with Ray Chiao. His 2011 experiment measuring "average trajectories" for photons in a two-slit interferometer was selected by Physics World magazine as the "breakthrough of the year."
Steinberg’s lecture, entitled “In Praise of Weakness”, will be held on Wednesday, June 5 at 7:00 PM ET in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Tickets will be available starting Tuesday, May 21, 2013 at 9:00AM ET. Please visit Perimeter’s website for further details. You can view past public lectures and events online here.
Further details can be found at www.perimeterinstitute.ca.
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