Beyond Electronics: Abandoning Perfection for Quantum Technologies

In the future, could we store our memories on a single atom? David Awschalom presents a fundamentally new generation of information technologies.

Today’s information technology is based on classical electronics: using the fact that electrons have charge to move them through circuits, and storing information primarily in magnetic disks. This Hendrik de Waard Lecture will focus on the remarkable development of a new generation of quantum technologies - an area of research at the border between science and engineering that could change the way we think about information itself. The emerging field of quantum engineering offers the promise of fundamentally new information technologies based on single atoms, where quantum physics – and its exotic properties including entanglement and teleportation - determines their behavior. Professor Awschalom will discuss the creation of prototype devices based on the quantum properties of emerging materials, as well as future applications ranging from powerful quantum computers and atomic memories to tamper-proof encrypted communication, molecular-level imaging, and precision sensing.

David Awschalom is the Liew Family Professor in Molecular Engineering and Deputy Director for Space, Infrastructure, and Facilities at the University of Chicago. He is one of the world’s leading scientists in spintronics and quantum information engineering. His research involves understanding and controlling the spins of electrons, ions, and nuclei for fundamental studies of quantum systems, as well as potential applications in computing, imaging, and encryption. David Awschalom is a member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the European Academy of Sciences.

This lecture is organised by the Hendrik de Waard Foundation in cooperation with Studium Generale Groningen and Science LinX. The Hendrik de Waard Foundation was founded after the retirement of the late professor of physics Hendrik de Waard in 1987. Annually, the foundation organises a lecture to inform and intrigue the general public about recent developments in science. www.hdw.fmf.nl