School of Physics Colloquium Series: Prof. Matthew Fisher, University of Santa Barbara

Quantum mechanics is down to earth - quite literally - since the electrons within the tiny crystals found in a handful of dirt manifest a dizzying world of quantum motion. Each crystal has it’s own unique choreography, with the electrons entangled in a myriad of quantum dances. Quantum entanglement also holds the promise of futuristic Quantum Computers - which might be comprised of electron and nuclear spins inside diamond, or of atoms confined in traps, or of small superconducting grains, among a plethora of suggested platforms. In this talk I will describe ongoing efforts to elucidate the mysteries of Quantum Crystals, to design and assemble Quantum Computers, before ruminating about “Quantum Cognition” - the proposal that our brains are capable of quantum processing.