Speaker: Micheline Soley , UW Madison - Department of Chemisty
Abstract: Low-energy ultracold molecules offer an unprecedented opportunity to examine chemical reactions at the level of individual quantum states and to develop quantum computers based on ultracold molecular qubits. Theoretical developments are needed to help expedite these technologies, but are stymied by the fact that ultracold molecular processes are notoriously difficult to simulate. In this talk, I will present a method that addresses this problem based on the finding that, whereas low temperatures are typically associated with quantum mechanics, an approach based on classical and semiclassical methods can reduce anomalous reflection error in certain ultracold simulations from 100% to 0% at a single energy. This approach provides a tool for tackling the “ultracold inferno” problem of understanding how molecules are produced close to zero Kelvin. This semiclassical technique, combined with a theory from optics, provides an explanation of and the means to reveal long-sought-after PT-symmetry behavior in quantum mechanics. In addition, the talk will discuss quantum computing algorithms, both on quantum computers and classical computers using advanced data compression techniques.