Talk Titles and Abstracts

Giulia Semeghini

Programmable atom arrays for quantum simulation and computation 

A broad effort is currently underway to develop quantum machines that can outperform their classical counterparts and take advantage of the powerful properties of quantum mechanics to reach unprecedented frontiers in computation, communication, sensing and metrology. Arrays of single neutral atoms trapped in optical tweezers have recently entered the scene as a potential practical realization of this ambitious goal. In this talk, I will introduce recent results where this platform has been used to realize an elusive state of matter, the so-called quantum spin liquid,  and to develop a new architecture for quantum information processing with non-local and reconfigurable connectivity between the qubits. Combining these results with novel technical tools on atom array platforms could open a broad range of possibilities for the exploration of entangled matter, with powerful applications in quantum simulation and information. 

Loïc Anderegg

Laser Cooled Molecules for Quantum Science Applications

Haoning Tang

Twisted Bilayer Photonic Crystal Slabs

A grand challenge in optics and photonics is overcoming the limitations on the propagation and manipulation of light imposed by the optical properties of naturally occurring materials, especially in the visible and telecom regions, where materials have no magnetic response. The one-to-one mapping between the Schrödinger equation for the electron wave function and the wave equation for light that follows from the Maxwell equations — with the electron wave function corresponding to the light intensity and the electronic potential to the index profile — suggests that photonic bilayer moiré systems open the door to unusual optical properties. We have studied the optical properties of twisted bilayers of 2D photonic crystals and demonstrated that the twist angle and interlayer gap between the two 2D photonic crystals permit tailoring the optical properties of the assembly and accomplishing tunable dispersion. One advantage of the photonic system is that one can design all the geometry to widely tune the optical coupling between the two layers — an additional degree of freedom that does not have a direct equivalent in the electronic system. Twisted bilayer photonic crystal slabs can open the door to novel optical phenomena and devices that help the photonic community develop a fundamental understanding of complex, unconventional optical potentials in dielectric heterostructures (e.g., light-trapping, quasicrystalline, chirality) and their impact on designing photonic systems.

Joonho Lee

Where can we find practical quantum advantages in quantum chemistry?

Quantum chemistry has been identified as the “killer app” for quantum computers. As many quantum algorithms are explicitly developed for quantum chemistry problems, examining the evidence for quantum advantage in quantum chemistry has become essential. In this talk, I hope to show what we mean by performing practical quantum chemistry calculations. I will then present our current understanding in examining evidence for practical quantum advantage. I will also show relevant numerical results for two quantum algorithms, quantum phase estimation and quantum-classical hybrid quantum Monte Carlo.