Quantum measurement: a dialog of big and small
Wednesday, 28th September 2016
Department of Physics, University of Warwick
Organisers: A. Datta, G.C. Knee, G. Morley, R.A. Römer (Physics, Warwick) and
P. Verrucchi (Physics, Universita' di Firenze)
Background and Purpose
The idea that any statement made by a scientific theory – be that an equation, a postulate, a principle – either descends from or is confirmed by some experimental evidence lies at the heart of the so-called scientific method. In fact, the Oxford English Dictionary defines it as “a method or procedure that has characterised natural science since the 17th century, consisting in systematic observation, measurement, and experiment, and the formulation, testing, and modification of hypotheses”. The experimental procedure adopted for testing any statement thus acquires a foundational role in the theory itself: its relevance, however, is not always recognised. The above procedure is often taken for granted, with attention rather focused upon improving the properties of the instrumentation (such as resolution or sensitivity). This picture is challenged by quantum mechanics, a theory where the production of experimental results complies with rules which need in fact to be considered as an integral part of the theoretical system. This is typically done in the form of the “measurement postulate”, or “Born's rule”. As a result, the amount of research that has been devoted to the subject since the first formulations of the theory is huge, and yet physicists continue to argue that our understanding of the process is unsatisfactory. This feeling has grown even stronger in recent decades, due to the recently acquired capability of controlling individual quantum objects with ever greater precision. This pushes fundamental research in at least two areas: (1) in the design and realisation of new tests of quantum mechanics itself, including of rival successor theories and of various interpretational viewpoints and (2) the use of such objects as highly sensitive probes which can enable measurements of unprecedented fidelity, for example of gravitational waves and other tiny effects.
Programme
| Time | Title | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday September 28th 2016 | ||
| 09:00-09:30 | Registration | |
| Morning Chair: Animesh Datta | ||
| 09:30-10:15 | The structures of spatially and temporally separated measurements |
Johannes Kofler |
| 10:15-11:00 | Leggett-Garg inequalities: a quasi-probability approach and parallels with the Bell inequalities |
Jonathan Halliwell |
| 11:00-11:30 | Coffee break | |
| 11:30-12:15 | Measurements, memories and time |
Lorenzo Maccone |
| 12:15-14:00 | Lunch | |
| Afternoon Chair: Rudolf A Römer | ||
| 14:00-14:45 | "Unsharp objectification" revisited - and what does it mean anyway to test quantum uncertainty? |
Paul Busch |
| 14:45-15:30 | Macroscopic measuring apparatuses and the role of global symmetries |
Paola Verrucchi |
| 15:30-16:00 | Poster Session (with refreshments) | |
| 16:00-16:45 | Measuring coherence in macroscopic quantum systems |
Benjamin Yadin |
| 18:00- | Dinner (informal) | |
| 19:00- | Farewell |
|
Posters
Participants
Participation is by invitation only. Please contact G.Knee@warwick.ac.uk if you think this workshop looks as if it would be of interest to you. Normally, we would be happy to accept self-invitations, but will not be able to pay for any expenses in this case.
Registration will start at 09:00 on 28th September 2016, at the University of Warwick, with the first talk at 10:00 (see above schedule). Note that the university is located at the outskirts of Coventry and not in Warwick. See http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/about/visiting/ for travel details and http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/about/visiting/maps/ for maps of the central campus. In case you come by car, parking is available for delegates at car park 15.
| Name | Affiliation | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|
| George C. Knee | University of Warwick | 26-30th Sept | |
| Paul Busch | York University & Centre for Quantum Technologies | 27th-28th Sept | |
| Rudolf A. Römer | University of Warwick | 26th-30th Sept | |
| Dominic Branford | University of Warwick | 28th Sept | |
| Johannes Kofler | Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics, Munich | 27th-28th Sept | |
| Paola Verrucchi | University of Florence | ||
| Xin Tong | University of Warwick | ||
| Jonathan Halliwell | Imperial College | ||
| Edoardo Carnio | University of Warwick | ||
| Julie Staunton | University of Warwick | ||
| William Murray | University of Warwick | ||
| Mark Hadley | University of Warwick | ||
| Christos Gagatsos | University of Warwick | ||
| Lorenzo Maccone | Universita' di Pavia | ||
| Jamie Friel | University of Warwick | ||
| Luke Smith | University of Warwick | ||
| Gavin Bell | University of Warwick | ||
| Magdalena Szczykulska | University of Oxford | ||
| Owen Maroney | University of Oxford | ||
| Samuele Ferracin | University of Warwick | ||
| Benjamin Yadin | University of Oxford |
Venue and Accommodation
Registration will be held in PS0.17 All talks will also be held in PS0.17. This room is in the Physical Sciences buildng (47), next to Physics, on the Warwick central campus.
The workshop will start with the registration at the University of Warwick. Note that the university is located at the outskirts of Coventry and not in Warwick. See http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/about/visiting/ for travel details and http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/about/visiting/maps/ for maps on the central campus. In case you come by car, parking is available for delegates at car park 15.
In case you are self-invited, please call the hotel directly and arrange your stay.
Contact
Prof. Rudolf A Römer
Physics Department
University of Warwick
Coventry CV4 7AL
United Kingdom
e-mail: physicsadmin at warwick dot ac dot uk
Phone: +44 (0)24 76574328
Fax: +44 (0)24 76150897
