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A peek into the quantum world of light

April 16, 2012

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World-renowned
French physicist, Alain Aspect, is giving the Institute for Quantum
Information Science (IQIS) annual lecture April 26. Photo credit:
Jean-François DarsCan you be at two places at
the same time, for instance at work and at the elementary school to pick
up your kids? No, even if sometimes you wish you could. But, according to
Alain Aspect, a world-renowned French physicist, a photon (a quantum
particle of light) can.

Alain Aspect, Augustin Fresnel Professor and CNRS senior scientist at
the Institut d'Optique and professor at the Ecole Polytechnique, in
Palaiseau (near Paris), will give the annual public lecture of the
university’s Institute for Quantum Information Science (IQIS) April
26.

Alain Aspect was born in Agen, France. He has pioneered the development
of the foundations of quantum physics, and is internationally acclaimed
for his groundbreaking experimental work that demonstrated the often
mind-boggling behavior of particles of light. His work has been recognized
through many awards, including the 2010 Wolf Prize in Physics, which is
considered one of the world’s top scientific awards. In addition, he will
receive the Albert Einstein medal in May 2012.

“Aspect’s work has established some of the most important concepts of
quantum physics,” says University of Calgary associate professor Wolfgang
Tittel. “His papers were among the first I studied when I started graduate
work back in 1994, and their importance is unchanged today.”

Professor Barry Sanders, the director of IQIS, adds: “We are very
pleased to host Alain Aspect for this lecture. His findings are explored
nowadays by members of our institute to enable applications such as
quantum computing and quantum cryptography.”

Alain Aspect’s presentation will take place April 26 from 7-8 p.m. in
the ICT102 Lecture Room.

His presentation will focus on interference, a phenomenon that we know
well from splitting a water wave and recombining the two pieces after they
have traveled along different paths, which may lead to an enhanced or
decreased wave.

Surprisingly, the same phenomenon can be observed when using individual
and indivisible particles of light. Hence, the photon must have been in
both paths at the same time—like you being simultaneously at work and at
school.

Admission to the lecture is free, but advance registration is required
at http://www.iqis.org/outreach/publiclecture.php.

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