03: Schroedingers Cat – Quantum versus Classical World?
Quantum mechanics is a very powerful theory that gives extremely precise predictions. It became the basis for modern high technology such as semiconducters, and thus computers, or lasers. However, this success came with a heavy price: Things happen at the micro-scopic realm that conflict with our ordinary notions of space, time and causality. Worse, the theory’s predic-tions fail at the macroscopic level.
In this course we will introduce some basic concepts like objective probability, superposition, entanglement, and Bell’s theorem. Then we will describe, in a non-technical manner, a variety of paradoxes associated with QM, and several surprising experiments as well as some pos-sible interpretations. We will include both real experi-ments like double-slit interference and thought experi-ments like Schroedinger’s cat paradox. This will lead to the discussion of technological promises including quantum cryptography and quantum computation. Finally we will also analyze quantum teleportation.
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Dr. Avshalom C. ELITZUR
Department of Chemical Physics, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot
| Unit of Interdisciplinary Studies, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel | |
| Visiting Professor, Birla Institute of Science and Technology, Mumbai, India | |
| Adjunct Lecturer, Feinberg Graduate School, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel | |
| Adjunct Lecturer, Faculty of Humanities, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel |
Dr. DDr.h.c. Anton ZEILINGER
Professor, Institut für Quantenoptik, Quantennanophysik und Quanteninformation sowie Vizedekan, Fakultät für Physik, Universität Wien; Wissenschaftlicher Direktor, Institut für Quantenoptik und Quanteninformation, ÖAW - Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften, Wien
| 1963 | -71 Study of Physics and Mathematics, Universität Wien |
| 1971 | Ph.D., Universität Wien, thesis on "Neutron Depolarization in Dysprosium Single Crystals" under Prof. H. Rauch |
| 1979 | Habilitation in Neutron and Solid State Physics, Techn. Univ. Wien |
| 1972 | -81 'Universitätsassistent', Atominstitut Wien, under Prof. H. Rauch |
| 1974 | -89 Guest Researcher (part-time), Institut Laue-Langevin in Grenoble, France |
| 1977 | -78 Fulbright Fellow in the U.S.A., Research Associate at M.I.T. in the Neutron Diffraction Laboratory under Prof. C.G. Shull (Nobel Laureate 1994) |
| 1981 | -83 Associate Professor of Physics, M.I.T. |
| 1983 | -90 'Außerordentlicher Universitätsprofessor', Technische Universität Wien |
| 1984 | Visiting Professor, University of Melbourne, Australia |
| 1986 | -89 Adjunct Full Professor, part-time, Hampshire College, Amherst, U.S.A. |
| 1988 | -89 'Universitätsprofessor' (C4, sabbatical), Techn. Univ. München |
| 1990-1999 | 'Ordentlicher Universitätsprofessor' (Full Professor) of Experimental Physics, Universität Innsbruck |
| 1995 | Visiting Professor, Collège de France, Paris |
| 1996-1998 | President, Austrian Physical Society |
| 1998 | Visiting Research Fellow, Merton College, Oxford University |
| 1999 | -present "Ordentlicher Universitätsprofessor" of Experimental Physics, University of Vienna |
