Continuous Measurement of the Position of a Single Cold Atom: Towards the Quantum-Classical Transition

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Speaker(s): Dan Steck

Quantum mechanics is fundamentally a theory of measurement, and recently a paradigm in quantum optics has arisen for describing the continuous measurement of quantum systems. Interesting phenomena can happen in continuously observed systems, due to the interplay of the dynamical evolution and the measurement process. In particular, the evolution of a quantum system under a continuous measurement process is both nonlinear and stochastic. I will describe our interests in continuous measurements of atomic motion, especially in applying them in understanding the quantum–classical transition for classically chaotic systems. I will also describe our experimental progress towards studying these systems.

Colloquium

Junior and senior physics majors attend our biweekly colloquium series, held on Tuesday afternoons at 4:30 p.m. in Shanahan B460. The talks are open to all students and to the public, and are frequently attended by scientists from the other Claremont Colleges, Cal Poly Pomona, and others. The series features speakers from a broad range of institutions and fields of physics.