Upcoming comps presentations

Noah Pinkney

Wednesday, March 30, 2022 8:30 am in Olin 141 Quantum Biophysics and Resonance Energy Transfer We explore the subfield of physics known as quantum biology, or the study of biological systems that exhibit explicit dependence on quantum mechanics to achieve functionality. In particular, we focus on the process of Forster resonance energy transfer, a mechanism utilized in the light-harvesting complexes of plants and other photoautotrophic organisms that is of fundamental importance to photosynthesis. We conclude with discussion of contemporary research into the significance of quantum coherence in biological processes and existing skepticism toward models relying on this property to elucidate certain biological phenomena.

Charlie Hall

Wednesday, March 30, 2022 3:10 pm in Olin 141 The Physics of Audition and Cochlear Implants The Cochlear Implant (CI), a surgically implanted neuroprosthetic that can provide the sensation of hearing to those with some forms of hearing loss and deafness, is the only piece of technology that can functionally restore 1 of the 5 senses. The CI works by bypassing the mechanical parts of the ear and electrically stimulating nerve endings in the cochlea with a carefully processed signal to mimic the work of the cochlea. To understand the need for CIs and how they work, we must understand the properties of a normally functioning ear and what has gone wrong to cause hearing loss. This project explains the Physics principles that make CIs possible: the basics of sound waves, middle ear impedance matching and the mechanics of the basilar membrane, and the electronics of the device including signal processing. Audition is a beautiful process with microscopic detail, especially the amazing work of the cochlea, but this makes it a delicate process. With Physics concepts you already know and love you can learn how scientists have harnessed Physics to repair hearing.

Yuto Miyazawa

Friday, April 1, 2022 8:30 am on Zoom Experimental Realization of Quantum Teleportation Quantum information science is expected to improve our lives, especially in the speed of computation and security in communication. Quantum teleportation conveys the information of a particle’s quantum state to the other particle, enabling cutting-edge quantum computers and dense coding. Non-linear optics realize the theoretical protocol in the experiment by generating entangled photons by spontaneous parametric down-conversion. This work considers how to detect if the teleportation occurs by addressing the physics behind the apparatus and procedure of the first successful teleportation, which becomes the basis of the current ground-to-space teleportation experiment. This works also scrutinizes the effect of atmospheric turbulence on photon emission which degrades the quality of an experiment of ground-to-satellite quantum teleportation.

Qiao Liu

Monday, April 4, 2022 8:30 am on Zoom The Physics of Atomic Clocks and Synchronization Ever since people first invented mechanical clocks, the synchronization and universality between clocks held by different parties has been a topic of interest. It is only with a global scale and consensus on time that clocks can be meaningful. Important clock synchronization applications involve sensor networks, global positioning systems, and even gravitational wave observation. In recent years, classical mechanical clocks are gradually being phased out as people acquire a more accurate measurement of time. More atomic clocks are used to achieve precise timing information. I will examine how atomic clocks work and explain why they are precise. In synchronizing atomic clocks, one very new approach to give exact timing is related to quantum physics, known as quantum clock synchronization (QCS), in which the evolution of quantum states is used to transfer timing information. I will describe the QCS protocol that synchronizes two parties, utilizing a singlet state, and also examine attempts to generalize the two-party protocol to three-party.