Fall 2016

Discussions of the infamous measurement problem of quantum foundations tend to focus on how the output of a measurement, the pointer position, can be thought of in consistent quantum mechanical terms, while ignoring the equally important issue of what this outcome says about the earlier microscopic situation the apparatus was designed to measure. An experimental physicist is typically much more interested in the path followed by a particle before it triggered his detector than in what happened later, and if quantum mechanics cannot provide a clear explanation, how can...

The S-matrix is among the most basic -- and most physically relevant -- observables in any quantum field theory. At tree-level, it is well-defined even for theories that are not UV finite, such as general relativity, and captures the full non-linear complexity of the equations of motion. The traditional Feynman approach to computing S-matrix elements (scattering amplitudes) relies on a space-time Lagrangian description of the QFT we are interested in. However, remarkably compact expressions have been discovered for the full tree-level S-matrix of a wide array of massless...

Gertrude E. and John M. Petersen Institute of NanoScience and Engineering (PINSE) Nano-Fabrication and Characterization Facility Overview and Services with Technical Director Dr. Esta Abelev.

Register here.

The Nobel Prizes in Physiology or Medicine, Chemistry and Physics are considered by many to be the most prestigious award available in science. The awards recognize notable discoveries that have profoundly impacted science, and often the world around us. A panel of professors from Carnegie Mellon's Mellon College of Science will discuss the discoveries that won Nobel Prizes this year. 

• Assistant Professor of Physics Di Xiao will discuss the 2016 Nobel Prize in Physics, which was awarded to David J. Thouless, F. Duncan M. Haldane and J.
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Prof. Ryan Steele of the University of Utah will be leading a workshop on the efficient calculation of vibrational anharmonicities. The workshop is open to everyone. Sign up by emailing LaShawn Youngblood...

We provide a perspective on the recent emergence of “topological spintronics,” which relies on the existence of helical Dirac electrons in condensed matter. Spin- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy shows how the spin texture of these electronic states can be engineered using quantum tunneling [1] or by breaking time-reversal symmetry [2]. Inappropriately designed systems, broken time-reversal symmetry transforms helical Dirac states into chiral edge states, a realization of Haldane’s Chern insulator phase of matter. This is characterized by a precisely...

The size reduction and economics of integrated circuits, captured since the 1960’s in the form of Moore’s Law, is under serious challenge. Current industry roadmaps reveal that physical limitations include reaching aspects associated with truly atomic dimensions, and the cost of manufacturing is reaching such values that only 2 or 3 companies can afford leading edge capabilities. To address the physical limitations, 2D materials such as graphene, phosphorene, h-BN, and transition metal dichalcogenides have captured the imagination of the electronics community...

We are at a time where the electronics industry is feeling pressure from two sides on the small scale we are facing the fundamental physical limits of silicon, and on the large scare we are facing new, abundant-data and distributed-data applications, such as for the internet of things. The future of computing will require both more energy efficient electronics and more big-data driven, application-specific designs.

Magnetic devices are a promising candidate for future electronics, due to their low-voltage operation...