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7:30 pm, Wednesday, Sep 24, 2014
Fairmont Lounge, St. John's College 2111 Lower Mall, UBC
Visualizing the Quantum World
J.C. Seamus Davis
Cornell University (USA)
Brookhaven National Laboratory(USA)
St Andrew's University (Scotland)
Everything around us, everything we have ever experienced, and almost
everything underpinning our technological society is governed by quantum
mechanics. Yet this fundamental theory of nature is a set of eerie and
counterintuitive ideas of no direct relevance to our lives. Why is this?
One reason is that we cannot directly perceive, with our own senses, the
strange (and beautiful) quantum world all around us.
However, we can see it indirectly. Here I will describe the very recent
development of techniques that image quantum processes directly at the
atomic scale. We will then visually explore the previously unseen and very
beautiful forms of quantum matter making up electronic liquid crystals,
quantum critical electrons, topological surface states, and high
temperature superconductors. I will also discuss the implications for
fundamental research, and for advanced materials and new technologies,
arising from the development and application of these novel techniques.
To learn more please visit his
webpage.
Additional resources for this talk: slides and
video.
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