July Lectures in Physics

The evolution of the very early universe is described by quantum mechanics and particle physics. The first moments after the big bang saw the creation of an asymmetry between matter and antimatter, the production of dark matter, and the formation of light elements in ‘primordial nucleosynthesis’. This lecture looks at the way quantum processes created the matter in our universe.

Quantum computers are beginning to emerge from decades of development in physics research labs around the world – prototypes are here, and you can access them via the cloud. But what are they, and what are they good for? To answer these questions we will take a brief tour through the world of quantum computers – covering their origins, current status and outlook. The talk will be augmented by quantum programming examples, both in a simulation environment and on physical quantum computer systems.

Quantum chemistry had humble beginnings - in 1927 quantum mechanics was applied to chemistry for the first time, to describe the chemical bonds of the hydrogen molecule. Since then, advancements in quantum chemistry has gone hand in hand with advancements in computing. By the 1990s quantum chemistry methods could solve problems from thermodynamics and kinetics of chemical reactions to excited states of biological systems. The arrival of petascale computing has resulted in an explosion of studies to understand the properties of organic,  emiconductor and metallic materials used in our everyday life. We now have quantum chemical software that solves the Schrödinger equation for chemical systems consisting of nearly half a million atoms… a mighty achievement almost unthinkable a few decades ago.

It is hard now to imagine that before the 1930s, the source of the Sun’s power was not known for sure. After the reveal of mechanism of thermonuclear fusion, prospects for controlled fusion as a source of power on Earth were proposed, but the main nuclear reaction in the Sun uses the weak nuclear reaction and this is too feeble for an engineered reactor. This lecture looks at the prospects for a breakthrough and the role of quantum mechanics that may provide new insights to address the difficult challenges. Lecture dedicated to the memory of Prof Tony Klein.