Visualizing Quantum Light w/Aggie Branczyk

Content level: 200 -- Event is for the "Quantum Climber"

Title: Visualizing Quantum Light

Speaker: Aggie Branczyk, Theoretical physicist | Optical quantum computing | Researcher working on systems design and numerical modelling, Perimeter Institute, Research Waterloo, Ontario

Abstract:
It’s common to think of photons as “particles of light”. It turns out that photons are nothing like ordinary particles. Not only do they have the familiar “quantum quirks” that electrons have (being able to be in a superposition of here and there, or being able to become entangled), but they are even more weird. Photons can be in superpositions of one, two, and three (or more) particles.

These features make it difficult to conceptualize quantum light, so physicists had to develop new visualization tools to help. In this talk, I will share with you a popular visualization tool in Quantum Optics called the Wigner function. I’ll show you how to use it to represent various interesting states of quantum light that are generated in labs today. I'll also give you a flavour for why it's useful for developing intuition. I’ll try to do this without being very technical, and I promise pretty pictures.

These "Meetup-Lite" events are Free and are online-only {connect & password information will be emailed to registered participants ~30 minutes prior to meeting}

Event artifacts, e.g. slides & recording (when available):
http://quantum.harrisburg.tech/meetups/20200910/

For a current listing of quantum-related live online events--globally--visit http://live.quantumapalooza.com/

Sponsor: Harrisburg University of Science and Technology
https://harrisburgU.edu/quantum email: quantum@HarrisburgU.edu