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08/30/2024 | News release | Distributed by Public on 08/30/2024 02:26

Nobel Symposium in Physics 2024: on quantum control of mechanical systems

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Leading expert from all over the world gathered at Säröhus for the 2024 Nobel Symposium in Physics.

This year, researchers from Chalmers University of Technology, KTH and Stockholm University were given the honor of organizing the prestigious Nobel symposium in Physics. "It was a wonderful atmosphere of intense scientific exchange, and open and enjoyable discussions," says Witlef Wieczorek, professor of physics at Chalmers University of Technology and Chair of the Nobel symposium themed mechanical resonators in the quantum regime.

Around 50 participants gathered for five days in July at Säröhus on the Swedish west coast for the Nobel symposium entitled "Quantum control of mechanical systems: from basic research to technological applications." With leading experts from various scientific institutions worldwide, including six members from the Royal Academy of Sciences' Nobel Committee in Physics, the key purpose was to create an overview of the latest scientific developments in the field. On the agenda were topics in quantum mechanics with optomechanical and electromechanical systems, as well as quantum sensing, quantum foundations and quantum information applications with mechanical systems. The presentations of the 25 invited speakers were at the highest scientific level and gave an overview of the current state of play in the field. In addition, two panel discussions were arranged to discuss perspectives on the future and challenges of the field.

"The presentations of the invited speakers were excellent and made us curious about what will happen next in the field. The panel discussions were both intense and insightful. We also had some more informal discussions during coffee breaks and over lunches and dinners, which I believe were exciting and rewarding for all of us. Luckily, we mostly had wonderful sunny weather in scenic Särö. So, we could also go on short hikes during some of the breaks, combining thinking of new scientific ideas with some exercise, which is always fun," says Witlef Wieczorek, Chair of the Nobel symposium and professor of physics at Chalmers University of Technology.

The Nobel symposia are international conferences at the highest scientific level, bringing Swedish researchers in direct contact with the international research frontier. Since the start in 1965, a total of more than 190 Nobel symposia have been held. It is the Nobel foundation together with the Royal Academy of Sciences that formally approves which Symposia in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature and economic sciences will be held. A total of one symposium is held per year for each of these fields. This year's symposium in physics was focused on mechanical resonators in the quantum regime and was jointly organized by Prof Witlef Wieczorek and Assistant Prof Raphaël van Laer from Chalmers University of Technology, Prof David Haviland from KTH and Dr Sofia Qvarfort and Associate Prof Igor Pikovski from Stockholm University.

"It was a great pleasure and honor to have been given the opportunity to organize this Nobel symposium. Especially as members of the Physics Nobel Committee were present to get informed about science and progress in the field. The field of "Quantum control of mechanical systems" has made spectacular progress in the last decade, which now led to the possibility to hold a Nobel symposium on that very topic," says Witlef.

Paving the way for new opportunities in quantum science

In the 1960s, physicists began investigating the possibility of measuring the displacement of mechanical systems ultimately dictated by the laws of quantum mechanics. In 2010, researchers succeeded in bringing a micromechanical resonator to its quantum ground state. Today, quantum control of mechanical motion has reached unprecedented levels, spanning objects of 12 orders of magnitude in mass: from the motion of individual atoms to the one of micromechanical resonators.

These advances pave the way for performing quantum experiments with objects that access new regimes of mass and size. This opens completely new opportunities in science. To name a few, mechanical systems in the quantum regime can be used to study experimentally the transition from quantum to classical behavior and test the low-energy limit of quantum gravity. Recently, they have also been proposed as a new technology for dark matter detection. Moreover, they find applications in quantum technologies such as in quantum sensing, as well as in linking optical and microwave photons for distributed quantum processors.

"We are all curious what will be realized in the next decade!", says Witlef.

More info:
Read more about the Nobel Symposium in Physics at Säröhus
Read more about the Nobel Symposia

Witlef Wieczorek
  • Head of Division, Quantum Technology, Microtechnology and Nanoscience
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Lovisa Håkansson
Updated 30 August 2024, 10:12Published 30 August 2024, 11:00
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