Daily Archives: September 23, 2023

KINGSTON, R.I. Sept. 21, 2023 As part of its quantum computing initiative, the University of Rhode Island will welcome Charles Robinson, worldwide lead of IBMs Quantum Safe Team, to campus for a public lecture. Robinson will give a talk titled From North Philly to Quantum Computing: Lessons Learned Along the Way on Monday, Sept. 25, at 4 p.m. in Edwards Hall.

The path from North Philly to being IBMs worldwide leader of the Quantum Safe Team has not been a straight line, Robinson said. In my presentation, I want to highlight the types of obstacles that I overcame and that many of you will likely experience. More important are the strategies and attitudes that you can employ to overcome hurdles, survive, and excel. No one size fits all but, at the end of the day, there is always a path forward.

As leader of IBMs Quantum Safe Team, Robinson works to develop and implement technologies that will protect data in a post-quantum world. Quantum computerscomputer systems that harness the behavior of matter at the tiniest scalesare expected to be able to perform calculations in seconds that would take years on even the most powerful computers operating today. While that dramatic increase in computing power promises to be an enormous boon for science and industry, it comes with a problem: Most of the encryption schemes currently used to secure data will be rendered obsolete as soon as large-scale quantum systems come online.

The Quantum Safe Team develops new encryption algorithms that will remain robust in the face of quantum computing power. The team also works with governments and companies all over the world to help them prepare for the coming quantum revolution. Doing so is critical to protecting credit card numbers, bank account information, medical records, and all other sensitive information that can be accessed via the internet.

Len Kahn, chair of the URI Department of Physics, says that quantum security represents an immediate area of focus in the coming quantum computing revolution.

All of the data thats on the internet now needs to be secured before quantum computers come online, Kahn said. We need to think about training people now to work on this and other critical problems, which is part of what were hoping to do with the quantum computing initiative at URI.

Kahn says that having Robinson speak at URI is important in part because of his unconventional path to worldwide leadership in the quantum field, as well as his efforts to make sure quantum information science is a career path available to anyone.

Robinson trained as a corpsman in the Navy before transitioning to engineering in community college. He went on to graduate from Howard University and receiving a graduate degree from Johns Hopkins. After working as an engineer and software developer for several large firms, Robinson began working extensively with the defense and intelligence community on issues related to communications and computing. He became the worldwide leader of the Quantum Safe Team in 2020.

Robinson has also worked extensively with Howard Universitys IBM-HBCU QuantumCenter, which aims to prepare and developtalent from historically Black colleges and universities for the quantum future.

The quantum revolution represents both tremendous challenges and opportunities, Kahn said. If were going to meet these challenges and create the workforce of tomorrow, well need to engage communities that have been traditionally underrepresented in scientific fields. Charles is a knowledgeable resource, and we continue to benefit from his experience.

The event is sponsored by the Office of the Provost, the Academic Enhancement Center, and the Department of Physics.

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Leader of IBM's Quantum Safe Team to speak at URI - University of Rhode Island

51 Faculty of Physics Startdate:01.11.2023|Working hours:30|Collective bargaining agreement:48 VwGr. B1 Grundstufe (praedoc) Limited until:30.04.2027 Reference no.:1347

How does a quantum object gravitate?, How far can we push massive objects into the quantum regime?, How well can we measure gravity of microscopic systems?. Such questions and their implications for the foundations of physics are the driving force behind our research. You will be part of our team and develop new ideas, technologies and experiments to provide new insights on macroscopic quantum physics, on gravity at small scales and, in the long run, on the phenomenology of the gravity-quantum interface in table-top experiments.

Your personal sphere of influence:

As a university assistant (praedoc) on this 3.5-year position, you will be part of the Aspelmeyer group, and you will be exploring fundamentals and applications of quantum entanglement in levitated solid-state platforms.

The main research activities of our group include quantum optical control of levitated solid-state objects, the exploration of their quantum properties for fundamental questions and novel quantum technology platforms, as well as precision measurements of ultra-weak gravitational forces. Our main motivation is to explore the interface between quantum physics and gravity with new experimental platforms.

Our Team is part of the Quantum Optics, Quantum Nanophysics and Quantum Information group of the Faculty of Physics.

We are member of the Vienna Center for Quantum Science and Technology (VCQ), one of the largest quantum hubs in Europe, and of the Austrian Cluster of Excellence (quantA), advancing basic research in quantum sciences, aiming to expand the frontiers of knowledge and thus being the engine for future innovations.

You will also benefit from being fellow of the Vienna Doctoral School in Physics (VDSP), being part of a thriving community with more than 100 quantum scientists on premise, about 300 quantum researchers in Vienna.

The Aspelmeyer group explores the interface between quantum physics and gravity in experiments, in particular involving quantum objects as sources of gravity. On the quantum side, we explore the extreme regime of motional quantum states of solids and their interactions to understand how to maximize mass, delocalization, and coherence time in quantum experiments. On the gravity side, we explore the extreme regime of gravitational phenomena of miniature source masses to understand how to isolate gravity from all other interactions on a microscopic scale. Together with colleagues from theory we try to formulate meaningful questions that help to establish decisive experimental tests of the quantum nature of gravity.

Your future tasks:

You will actively participate in research, teaching & administration. This means:

This is part of your personality:

What we offer:

Inspiring working atmosphere:You are a part of an international academic team in a healthy and fair working environment.

Good public transport connections:Your workplace in the center of beautiful Vienna is easily accessible by public transport.

Potential for development:Success in life depends on what you make of it, but if you are ambitious and successful, there are plenty of opportunities to connect you to all relevant top research groups in the world.

Internal further training & Coaching:The Vienna Doctoral School as well as the department of human resources offer plenty of opportunities to grow your skills in over 600 courses to choose from free of charge.

Fair salary:The basic salary of EUR 2,457.00 (30h, 14x p.a.) increases if we can credit professional experience. The employment duration is 4 years. Initially limited to 1.5 years, the employment relationship is automatically extended to3.5 yearsif the employer does not terminate it within the first 12 months by submitting a non-extension declaration.

Equal opportunities for everyone:We look forward to diverse personalities in the team!

It is that easy to apply:

If you have any questions, please contact:

Markus Aspelmeyer

markus.aspelmeyer@univie.ac.at

We look forward to new personalities in our team! We lay special emphasis on increasing the number of women in senior and in academic positions among the academic and general university staff and therefore expressly encourage qualified women to apply. In order to increase the percentage of women in Physics, the announced position is open to qualified female candidates only.

University of Vienna. Space for personalities. Since 1365.

Data protection

Application deadline:08/10/2023

Prae Doc

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University Assistant Predoctoral, Physics job with UNIVERSITY OF ... - Times Higher Education

A snapshot of the ab initio molecule dynamics simulations at 753 degrees Kelvin, showing the polarized titanium oxide bonding with local tetragonal structures in various orientations, which depict the local 90 and 180 degree domain walls. Credit: Courtesy Zi-Kui Liu

The universe naturally gravitates towards disorder, and only through the input of energy can we combat this inevitable chaos. This idea is encapsulated in the concept of entropy, evident in everyday phenomena like ice melting, fires burning, and water boiling. However, zentropy theory introduces an additional layer to this understanding.

This theory was developed by a team led by Zi-Kui Liu, the distinguished Dorothy Pate Enright Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Penn State. The Z in zentropy is derived from the German term Zustandssumm, which translates to the sum over states of entropy.

Alternatively, Liu said, zentropy may be considered as a play on the term zen from Buddhism and entropy to gain insight on the nature of a system. The idea, Liu said, is to consider how entropy can occur over multiple scales within a system to help predict potential outcomes of the system when influenced by its surroundings.

Liu and his research team have published their latest paper on the concept, providing evidence that the approach may offer a way to predict the outcome of experiments and enable more efficient discovery and design of new ferroelectric materials. The work, which incorporates some intuition and a lot of physics to provide a parameter-free pathway to predicting how advanced materials behave, was published inScripta Materialia.

Ferroelectrics have unique properties, making them valuable for a variety of applications both now and in developing materials, researchers said. One such property is spontaneous electric polarization that can be reversed by applying an electric field, which facilitates technologies ranging from ultrasounds to ink-jet printers to energy-efficient RAM for computers to the ferroelectric-driven gyroscope in smartphones that enable smooth videos and sharp photos.

To develop these technologies, researchers need to experiment to understand the behavior of such polarization and its reversal. For efficiencys sake, the researchers usually design their experiments based on predicted outcomes. Typically, such predictions require adjustments called fitting parameters to closely match real-world variables, which take time and energy to determine. But zentropy can integrate top-down statistical and bottom-up quantum mechanics to predict experimental measures of the system without such adjustments.

Of course, at the end of the day, the experiments are the ultimate test, but we found that zentropy can provide a quantitative prediction that can narrow down the possibilities significantly, Liu said. You can design better experiments to explore ferroelectric material and the research work can move much faster, and this means you save time, energy, and money and are more efficient.

While Liu and his team have successfully applied zentropy theory to predict the magnetic properties of a range of materials for various phenomena, discovering how to apply it to ferroelectric materials has been tricky. In the current study, the researchers reported finding a method to apply zentropy theory to ferroelectrics, focusing on lead titanate. Like all ferroelectrics, lead titanate possesses electric polarization that can be reversed when external electric fields, temperature changes, or mechanical stress is applied.

As an electric field reverses electric polarization reverses, the system transitions from ordered in one direction to disordered and then to ordered again as the system settles into the new direction. However, this ferroelectricity occurs only below a critical temperature unique to each ferroelectric material. Above this temperature, ferroelectricity the ability to reverse polarization disappears and paraelectricity the ability to become polarized emerges. The change is called the phase transition. The measurement of those temperatures can indicate critical information about the outcome of various experiments, Liu said. However, predicting the phase transition prior to an experiment is nearly impossible.

No theory and method can accurately predict the free energy of the ferroelectric materials and the phase transitions prior to the experiments, Liu said. The best prediction of transition temperature is more than 100 degrees away from the experiments actual temperature.

This discrepancy arises due to the unknown uncertainties in models, as well as fitting parameters that could not consider all salient information affecting the actual measurements. For example, an often-used theory characterizes macroscopic features of ferroelectricity and paraelectricity but does not consider microscopic features such as dynamic domain walls boundaries between regions with distinct polarization characteristics within the material. These configurations are building blocks of the system and fluctuate significantly with respect to temperature and electric field.

In ferroelectrics, the configuration of electric dipoles in the material can change the direction of polarization. The researchers applied zentropy to predict the phase transitions in lead titanate, including identifying three types of possible configurations in the material.

The predictions made by the researchers were effective and in agreement with observations made during experiments reported in the scientific literature, according to Liu. They used publicly available data on domain wall energies to predict a transition temperature of 776 degrees Kelvin, showing a remarkable agreement withthe observed experimental transition temperature of 763 degrees Kelvin. Liu said the team is working on further reducing the difference between predicted and observed temperatures with better predictions of domain wall energies as a function of temperature.

This ability to predict transition temperature so closely to the actual measurements can provide valuable insights into the physics of ferroelectric material and help scientists to better their experimental designs, Liu said.

This basically means you can have some intuitions and a predictive approach on how a material behaves both microscopically and macroscopically before you conduct the experiments, Liu said. We can start predicting the outcome accurately before the experiment.

Along with Liu, other researchers in the study from Penn State include Shun-Li Shang, research professor of materials science and engineering; Yi Wang, research professor of materials science and engineering; and Jinglian Du, research fellow in materials science and engineering at the time of the study.

Reference: Parameter-free prediction of phase transition in PbTiO3 through combination of quantum mechanics and statistical mechanics by Zi-Kui Liu, Shun-Li Shang, Jinglian Du and Yi Wang, 20 April 2023, Scripta Materialia. DOI: 10.1016/j.scriptamat.2023.115480

The Department of Energys Basic Energy Sciences program supported this research.

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Zentropy A New Theory That Could Transform Material Science - SciTechDaily

A team of researchers studying the quantum realm say they have observed an otherworldly mirror universe through the eye of a decaying monopole that is eerily reminiscent of the mirror universe written about by author Lewis Carroll in his Alices Adventures in Wonderland.

Dubbed an Alice ring in honor of Carrolls mirror universe, these fleeting, quantum world events may help to unravel the mysteries of the quantum realm.

In quantum physics, monopoles are the proposed counterpart to dipoles, which have a positive and negative charge at opposing ends, just like a conventional magnet. In contrast, the monopole is only negatively or positively charged.

For decades, scientists have theorized how an actual magnetic monopole might decay, with the most common theory being that it would create a brief, fleeting ring-like structure that might open the door to an alternate mirror universe. As noted, the mirror universe revealed by these decaying rings reminded theorists of the mirror universe in Lewis Carrols Alices Adventures in Wonderland, where everything is the opposite of the real world.

Such theoretical Alice rings have remained particularly elusive for decades. But now, a team of researchers who have been studying the phenomenon for years say they have spotted these structures in nature for the first time ever. And as they suspected, Alice rings may indeed be a portal to what they describe as an otherworldly mirror universe.

The hunt for a real-world Alice ring involved a years-long collaboration between Professor Mikko Mttnen of Aalto University and Professor David Hall from Amherst College. In fact, their first discovery on the road to Carrolls mirror universe took place in 2014, when the duo successfully proved the existence of an analog of a quantum monopole.In 2015, they actually isolated a quantum monopole, and then in 2017 actually observed one decaying into the other. Still, it wasnt until their latest research that they witnessed the appearance of the doorway to the mirror universe known as the elusive Alice ring.

This was the first time our collaboration was able to create Alice rings in nature, which was a monumental achievement, Mttnen said.

According to the press release announcing this once-in-a-career feat, the research team, which was aided by Ph.D. candidate Alina Blinova, manipulated a gas of rubidium atoms prepared in a nonmagnetic state near absolute zero temperature. Then, operating under these extreme conditions, the researchers were able to create a monopole by steering a zero point of a three-dimensional magnetic field into the quantum gas. As previously theorized, the result was a perfectly formed Alice ring.

Notably, the researchers point out that Alice rings only last for a few milliseconds, as they are extremely fragile. This means that when a magnetic monopole is exposed to the slightest external force, it immediately decays into an Alice ring.

Think of the monopole as an egg teetering at the top of a hill, Mttnen said. The slightest perturbations can send it crashing down. In the same way, monopoles are subject to noise that triggers their decay into Alice rings.

Perhaps even more astonishing, and as the longtime collaborators had hoped, their Alice ring seemed to offer a glimpse into a mirror universe just like Carrolls.

From a distance, the Alice ring just looks like a monopole, but the world takes a different shape when peering through the centre of the ring, Hall said.

It is from this perspective that everything seems to be mirrored, as if the ring were a gateway into a world of antimatter instead of matter, Mttnen added.

Published in the journal Nature Communications, the researchers say that the verified observation of an Alice ring in the real world could one day lead to a better understanding of quantum physics. However, there is still no indication whether or not it will lead to attending a tea party with a mad hatter.

Christopher Plain is a Science Fiction and Fantasy novelist and Head Science Writer at The Debrief. Follow and connect with him on X, learn about his books at plainfiction.com, or email him directly at christopher@thedebrief.org.

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Researchers Studying the Quantum Realm Observe Alice in ... - The Debrief

The business of artificial intelligence is booming. In all walks of life, youd be hard pressed not to find some sort of AI in what you do daily. It may be as simple as pulling up directions on your phone or as complicated as touching up photos with generative AI programs.

For Augusta University graduate Philip Dyche, hes trying to capitalize on the growing industry.Dyche is starting up a business called DocuSight AI that features three products. One, called PDFchat Pro, is designed for professionals. This AI tool is useful for professionals who need to navigate through complex documents quickly and efficiently. Businesses can now upload large files and then allow AI to help extract exactly what the business may need to function at a higher level.

The second product is called StudyBud AI, which is similar to the first, but is designed for educational purposes. Students can upload their textbooks or other student materials, and artificial intelligence will learn the content, simplify complex subjects and provide insightful answers to a students questions. Dyche feels this is a game-changer for students who want to optimize their study potential. He sees the demands on students, especially those already working full-time, and knows this AI tool can help them out.

The final product is called AgapeChat AI. Agape translates to love in Hebrew. During a humorous conversation with his father, an idea was born to upload different versions of the Bible. Users can ask questions to their selection of pre-uploaded Bibles and receive immediate, in-context responses. This can enhance the faith exploration journey for spiritual seekers and religious educators, Dyche said.

Its an impressive leap for this 26-year-old who graduated in 2021 with a physics degree from Augusta Universitys College of Science and Mathematics, complemented by minors in math and business.

After contributing as a capacity planning analyst at Southern Company Gas, Dyche is set to embark on a new journey as a nuclear physicist with Southern Nuclear starting in October. Unfazed by the challenges and ever confident, he is optimistic about the road ahead.

I am very positive about things. I try to not have a lot of things hold me back, said Dyche.

He also wanted to get in on the AI business early, so he can be positioned well for the future.

Thats exactly like I was thinking. Its like having the chance to invest in Google when it was just a startup. If you got in on that early, youd be set for life, said Dyche.

Dyche came to Augusta University originally for the pre-dental program, but switched to the physics program upon hearing more about it. It led to opening the doors to the nuclear field along with a number of opportunities.

The influence of AU, the bond with my fraternity brothers, the chats with other students and the support from the staff all pushed me. I wanted to do big things after college, and now its like Ive strapped into a rocket and Im just taking off.

While physics delved into topics like electrodynamics, quantum physics and intricate math formulas that might seem like rocket science, its true lesson was profound yet simple, Dyche said. It taught me that even the most complicated issues can be dissected into smaller, more manageable parts. This approach isnt just academic; its a valuable skill in the business world, making complex tasks more approachable.

It got him thinking about artificial intelligence. He said its not easy to find a tutor for quantum physics or electrodynamics. He thought if you could sit down and talk to your textbook, that would serve as a guide to help with the studying and understanding of difficult topics.

He saw how the technology industry was starting to boom with AI. Since he was already coding, he began to play around more with it and saw there was a gap in the workforce with file and document analysis. That was sort of the light bulb moment for Dyche to develop DocuSight AI.

There are a ton of apps out there to check your files, but imagine digging through a massive 400- to 500-page PDF, just trying to find a warranty or product ID. Its like searching for a needle in a haystack. Thats where DocuSight AI can be a game changer. Its like having an assistant in your pocket. You ask, and in a snap, you get your answer. I just couldnt ignore such a glaring gap and the chance to make things easier.

Along with his studies at Augusta University, Dyche also served as president of Pi Kappa Phi fraternity. Hes still using those connections to further his business venture.

One of my fraternity brothers, Alex Rountree, is working for the national organization, so hes going to be at different schools throughout the nation. Hes going to be helping me market my company to all those different schools while hes out there recruiting for the fraternity men, added Dyche.

Read more: Criminal justice grad retires his paws as Augusta University mascot

As a physics student, he credits Joseph Hauger, PhD, Fuller E. Callaway Chair in Physics, for helping him get where he is today.

He greatly impacted many of my post-college endeavors. Not only is hes an exceptional teacher, hes also a genuine leader. His positive influence reaches many students. It was Hauger who introduced me to coding and robotics.

Besides working for Southern Nuclear and getting DocuSight AI off the ground, Dyche is also pursuing a Master in Business Administration. He has a quest for knowledge that shows no sign of slowing down, and he gives a lot of credit to the AU influence on his career.

Honestly, I never saw myself being in this spot so soon after walking across the graduation stage. It feels like just yesterday. The influence of AU, the bond with my fraternity brothers, the chats with other students and the support from the staff all pushed me. I wanted to do big things after college, and now its like Ive strapped into a rocket and Im just taking off.

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Augusta University graduate starts business in the artificial ... - Jagwire Augusta