A second revolution now happening in quantum and related sciences will come under the spotlight this week at The University of Queensland.
UQ's School of Mathematics and Physics will host a Quantum Frontiers Symposium on Thursday, April 2 and Friday, April 3 at the St Lucia campus.
It will also launch a Quantum Science Laboratory, showcasing theoretical and experimental research in quantum sciences at UQ, and in Australia.
The Head of School, Professor Halina Rubinsztein-Dunlop, said the first revolution in quantum science saw the advent of many technologies used in everyday life, such as digital cameras, CD players, computers, laser scanners, and traffic lights.
The development of these technologies was possible due to scientists’ research into basic quantum mechanics early in the 20th Century.
More recently, quantum sciences has allowed a better understanding of how molecules interact, how semiconductors work, and of other technologies. This has led to applications in solar energy, semiconductors, use in modern biology, medicine, pharmacology, and defense.
“Today, quantum sciences are even better understood, and we believe this will lead to even greater technological advances this century,” Professor Rubinsztein-Dunlop said.
“Cryptography, chemical sensing, and other applications for medicine, biology and security fields are areas in which we expect to see advances in the not-too-distant future.”
The symposium will bring together 150 people from key quantum science institutes from around the world, including six international and 19 keynote speakers, plus staff from institutions in Australia.
Delegates will address challenges in the quantum sciences field, and discuss the future of quantum science in Australia.
UQ quantum science postgraduate students will also have an opportunity to present their work to international and national audiences. This will provide valuable experience for the students, and highlight the breadth of talent at UQ.
The Quantum Frontiers symposium will coincide with the launch of the new Quantum Science Laboratory (QSL) based at The University of Queensland (UQ).
International speakers include Professor Gerd Leuchs (Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, Germany), Professor Artur Ekert (Centre for Quantum Technologies, Singapore), Professor Markus Arndt (Institut für Quantenoptik und Quanteninformation, Austria), Professor Carl Williams (NIST Gaithersburg, USA), Professor Carl Caves (University of New Mexico, USA), and Professor Mark Eriksson (University of Wisconsin-Madison).
Media: For more information about the Quantum Science Laboratory or the Quantum Frontier Symposium contact Lynelle Ross, Communications and Marketing Officer, School of Mathematics and Physics (l.ross@smp.uq.edu.au).
Professor Gerd Leuchs and Professor Markus Arndt are available for interviews. Please contact Susan Grantham on 0404 784 314 to arrange.
About Professor Gerd Leuchs, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light.
Professor Leuchs studied physics and mathematics at Cologne and received his PhD in 1978. After research years in USA, he headed the German gravitational wave detection group, then after which became technical director at Nanomach AG, Switzerland. Since 1994 he has been Professor of Physics at the University of Erlangen, since 2003 also director of the Max Planck research group of optics, information and photonics. In January 2009, the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light started operating, Professor Leuchs was appointed as Co-Director. The official launch of Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light will take place in July 2009.
Professor Leuch’s research group focuses on quantum communication that is performed with indistinguishable quantum states. Quantum communication is the science of producing quantum states, manipulating these states at the fundamental quantum limit and detecting them optimally.
The group investigates a special branch of quantum communication that has witnessed a tremendous growth within the last few years – namely, continuous-variable quantum communication. The group works on new non-classical light sources, quantum information protocols, and quantum measurement schemes operating at the fundamental limit.
About Professor Markus Arndt, Faculty of Physics, University of Vienna.
Professor Ardnt completed his PhD at Ludwig-Maximillians-Universität in Munich in 1994. After research years in Germany, France and Austria, he arrived at the University of Vienna in 1999. In 2008, Professor Ardnt became full Professor of Quantum Nanophysics at The University of Vienna.
Professor Arndt’s research focuses on the matter wave physics of nano-materials to furnish proof of quantum world phenomena in increasingly larger atoms and molecules. It is believed that proving theseis phenomena will lead to new ways of determining chemical compositions of materials.
