Seminar

Abstract

Slow neutrons are used in a very broad spectrum of scientific investigations. I will discuss how neutrons are liberated from nuclei and lowered in energy to regimes of interest. I will also discuss some examples of experiments, mainly motivated by questions in nuclear/particle/astrophysics.

Aashish Clerk, McGill University

Abstract

Evidence is presented for the finite wave vector crossing of the two lowest one-dimensional spin-split subbands in quantum point contacts fabricated from two-dimensional hole gases with strong spin-orbit interaction. This phenomenon offers an elegant explanation for the anomalous sign of the spin polarization filtered by a point contact, as observed in magnetic focusing experiments. Anticrossing is introduced by a magnetic field parallel to the channel or an asymmetric potential transverse to it.

Scott Aaronson, MIT

Alexandre Blais, University of Sherbrooke

Abstract

Semiconductor quantum dots provide a versatile and potentially scalable mechanism for manipulating quantum information encoded in discrete orbital and spin degrees of freedom. I will review the state-of-the-art in current developments in this field (leading to fast control on a scale of 200 picoseconds and very long memory times in excess of 200 microseconds).

Zhenyu Zhang, University of Science and Technology of China & Harvard University