Untangling the Quantum World

Quantum mechanics and general relativity are the two pillars of modern physics; yet their theories conflict with one another. Our main limitation in understanding how quantum and relativistic effects co-exist is the lack of technology that operates at these scales. We are at a stage comparable to the study of atoms prior to the invention of microscopes, or astrophysics before telescopes. Fortunately, quantum technologies are now reaching relativistic regimes. In this talk I will describe new technologies that will allow us to look into physical regimes where new physics might arise.

Over the recent decades the quantum mechanical nature of light and matter unlocked unprecedented experimental potential in our ability to measure with extreme accuracy and precision, compute difficult problems and also simulate nature itself. Ultracold atoms play a central role in emerging quantum technologies. We will briefly discuss what ultracold means and the methods used for reaching such temperatures with atoms. We will also take a glimpse at experimental techniques and methods that are shaping atom-based quantum technologies for fundamental, commercial and industrial applications.

The quirky features of the quantum realm have puzzled scientists for a century. Microscopic particles can be in super positions of two states at once -- say heads and tails -- and share entanglement, a correlation that defies their separation in space and time, kinda like love. Efforts in unmasking and controlling these features triggered a technological overhaul rivaling last century’s industrial revolutions. I will show what entanglement can do for us and why Google, Microsoft, and other tech giants stepped up to the challenge of crafting uberpowerful yet still elusive quantum computers.