Quantum equilibration. This project will shed light on a fundamental problem in physics - how do fragile quantum systems, entirely isolated from the rest of the world, return to equilibrium when disturbed from their natural state? Our results will provide a theoretical underpinning for the development of quantum simulators that can be used for the design of advanced materials.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE140100489
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$395,220.00
Summary
Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle, the limits to knowledge, and the foundations of quantum theory. This project will establish what the uncertainty principle can teach us about quantum foundations, and will address why quantum theory obeys such a principle and why Nature chose quantum theory amongst other possible theories. Specifically, this project will determine how the uncertainty principle restricts the information one can get on incompatible measurements, by deriving new complementarity r ....Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle, the limits to knowledge, and the foundations of quantum theory. This project will establish what the uncertainty principle can teach us about quantum foundations, and will address why quantum theory obeys such a principle and why Nature chose quantum theory amongst other possible theories. Specifically, this project will determine how the uncertainty principle restricts the information one can get on incompatible measurements, by deriving new complementarity relations. These will clarify what can or cannot be done in the context of quantum information. This project will determine how much of a theory can be reconstructed from such relations and what other fundamental axioms are required to fully derive quantum theory. This will shed light on the reasons why Nature prefers it to other theories.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE170100712
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$360,000.00
Summary
Principles and applications of quantum causal discovery. This project aims to develop a comprehensive framework to discover causal relations in quantum experiments. Quantum information can solve practical problems involving quantum systems, providing great insight in the foundations of physics and a promise of revolutionary technology. However, little is known about inferring causal relations between quantum events, a core problem in all scientific disciplines. This project aims to develop tools ....Principles and applications of quantum causal discovery. This project aims to develop a comprehensive framework to discover causal relations in quantum experiments. Quantum information can solve practical problems involving quantum systems, providing great insight in the foundations of physics and a promise of revolutionary technology. However, little is known about inferring causal relations between quantum events, a core problem in all scientific disciplines. This project aims to develop tools to efficiently solve this task, which is expected to open a new direction in quantum information and applied quantum technologies, and provide a deeper understanding of causality in the quantum world. Such advances in the theoretical background for developing quantum technologies could benefit the economy.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160100409
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$367,576.00
Summary
Knowledge, Ignorance, and Security in Higher-dimensional Quantum Systems. This project aims to provide new understanding of information and security in higher-dimensional systems, and to exploit this to deliver a secure, high-capacity, quantum image transfer protocol for quantum communication and quantum cryptography technologies. In quantum physics, the best possible knowledge of a whole does not include the best possible knowledge of the parts: not knowing any of the letters of a word does not ....Knowledge, Ignorance, and Security in Higher-dimensional Quantum Systems. This project aims to provide new understanding of information and security in higher-dimensional systems, and to exploit this to deliver a secure, high-capacity, quantum image transfer protocol for quantum communication and quantum cryptography technologies. In quantum physics, the best possible knowledge of a whole does not include the best possible knowledge of the parts: not knowing any of the letters of a word does not imply not knowing what the word is. This project aims to examine the high-dimensional transverse spatial modes of photon to show that the converse is also true: not knowing the word does not imply not knowing any of the letters. Project outcomes may have applications in remote sensing and surveillance.Read moreRead less
Emergent physics in quantum transport with ultracold atoms. Understanding the laws of physics by which complex interactions in many-particle systems lead to the emergence of new behaviour is a fundamental problem. The project seeks to understand the microscopic mechanisms and phenomenology of emergent transport phenomena in the motion of particles in quantum many-body systems. This project will develop new theories of quantum transport in ultracold atomic gases, which provide a unique avenue for ....Emergent physics in quantum transport with ultracold atoms. Understanding the laws of physics by which complex interactions in many-particle systems lead to the emergence of new behaviour is a fundamental problem. The project seeks to understand the microscopic mechanisms and phenomenology of emergent transport phenomena in the motion of particles in quantum many-body systems. This project will develop new theories of quantum transport in ultracold atomic gases, which provide a unique avenue for addressing our aims by controlled realisation of novel and well-characterised microscopic models of many-body theory. This project will provide new insights into the structure-dynamics-functionality paradigm, enabling breakthrough applications in the bottom-up design of new materials and in cellular regulation in biology.Read moreRead less
Ultimate quantum limits to coherence. This project aims to discover the ultimate quantum limits to optical coherence. Quantum physics underpin the miniaturisation of technology, and quantum devices can do things better, often with vastly fewer resources, than conventional devices. Lasers underpin most modern optical technologies, and have been studied for decades, but the ultimate quantum limits are unknown. To find them, this project will use theoretical techniques that have not hitherto been c ....Ultimate quantum limits to coherence. This project aims to discover the ultimate quantum limits to optical coherence. Quantum physics underpin the miniaturisation of technology, and quantum devices can do things better, often with vastly fewer resources, than conventional devices. Lasers underpin most modern optical technologies, and have been studied for decades, but the ultimate quantum limits are unknown. To find them, this project will use theoretical techniques that have not hitherto been combined. This project will likely influence the long-term development of lasers and other quantum devices and underpin innovation in miniaturised optical technology and other quantum devices, leading ultimately to commercial products that yield a better quality of life.Read moreRead less
Quantum nonlocality tests with ultracold atoms. As a fundamental test of quantum mechanics, we will measure for the first time "spooky action-at-a-distance" for macroscopically large groups of atoms. As well as establishing limits to the size of new quantum devices such as gravitational sensors, we will provide insights into the unification of quantum theory with gravity.
Nonequilibrium states of polariton superfluids. This project aims to design novel nonequilibrium states of a polariton superfluid and to identify why some are more robust than others. Polaritons are hybrid particles of light and matter that exist in thin layers of a semiconductor. At high densities they form a superfluid, exhibiting quantised whirlpools and frictionless flow. The project aims to realise these states in the laboratory and to address one of the challenges of physics: predicting an ....Nonequilibrium states of polariton superfluids. This project aims to design novel nonequilibrium states of a polariton superfluid and to identify why some are more robust than others. Polaritons are hybrid particles of light and matter that exist in thin layers of a semiconductor. At high densities they form a superfluid, exhibiting quantised whirlpools and frictionless flow. The project aims to realise these states in the laboratory and to address one of the challenges of physics: predicting and controlling the emergent properties of materials far from equilibrium. The anticipated outcome is the generation of fundamental knowledge that could be used to guide the design of polaritonic devices such as novel optoelectronic devices for emitting and controlling light.Read moreRead less
Fundamental tests of quantum mechanics with ultracold atomic gases. The project seeks to make a breakthrough in our understanding of quantum 'entanglement' in large-scale systems of massive particles. Such systems can revolutionise precision measurement and lead to new quantum devices for gravitational and inertial sensing. The project will help position Australia among the world leaders in these developments.
Riding a quantum wave: transport and flow of atomic quantum fluids. This project intends to characterise and engineer the fundamental transport properties of atomic superfluids. Lasers and magnetic fields can be used to cool tiny samples of millions of atoms to temperatures a few billionths of a degree above absolute zero. At such cold temperatures they form a superfluid known as a Bose–Einstein condensate, which flows with zero viscosity. Using tailored light fields to trap and guide the atoms, ....Riding a quantum wave: transport and flow of atomic quantum fluids. This project intends to characterise and engineer the fundamental transport properties of atomic superfluids. Lasers and magnetic fields can be used to cool tiny samples of millions of atoms to temperatures a few billionths of a degree above absolute zero. At such cold temperatures they form a superfluid known as a Bose–Einstein condensate, which flows with zero viscosity. Using tailored light fields to trap and guide the atoms, this project plans to build rudimentary atomic circuits and coax the superfluid to flow through a channel between two reservoirs, firstly with thermodynamic gradients, and secondly by building a quantum pump. Together with computer modelling, this would allow us to characterise the microscopic transport properties of superfluids and provide us with an understanding of how to use them in atomtronic devices in the future.Read moreRead less