Perimeter Institute: Keeping Better Time: The Era of Optical Atomic Clocks
David Wineland, National Institute of Standards and Technology
Atomic clocks are the most precise timekeepers ever built. If you could keep an advanced atomic clock running long enough, it would neither gain nor lose a single second over the entire lifespan of the universe. With the availability of spectrally pure lasers and the ability to precisely measure optical frequencies, it appears the era of optical atomic clocks has begun. Advances in atomic clocks are expected to be important in a range of emerging technological applications, including quantum computers.
David Wineland, 2012 Nobel Laureate in Physics, will explore the theoretical and technological know-how needed to build these ultra-precise timepieces during his Perimeter Institute Public Lecture on Wednesday, Nov. 4.
Wineland received a BA degree from the University of California, Berkeley in 1965 and a PhD from Harvard University in 1970. He has been a member of the Time and Frequency Division of NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) in Boulder, Colorado since 1975, where he is a group leader and NIST Fellow. Starting with graduate school, a long-term goal of his work has been to increase the precision of atomic spectroscopy, the measurement of the frequencies of atoms’ characteristic vibrations. This research has applications to making better atomic clocks and led to experiments showing precise control of atomic energy levels and motion. Such control can be applied to measurements whose precision is limited only by the constraints of quantum mechanics and to demonstrations of the basic building blocks of a quantum computer. Wineland was a co-winner of the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physics "for ground-breaking experimental methods that enable measuring and manipulation of individual quantum systems."
NEW WAITING LINE EXPERIENCE
There will be a waiting line for last minute cancelled (or ‘no show’) seats on the night of the lecture. Doors open at 5:30 pm. Come to Perimeter and pick-up a waiting line chit at the Waiting Line sign and then participate in pre-lecture activities - no need to wait in line. An announcement will be made in the Bistro at 6:45pm if theatre seats are available. Note: you must arrive in person to be part of the waiting line and be in the Bistro when the waiting line announcement is made.
NO DISAPPOINTMENTS
Everyone who comes to Perimeter will be able to participate in the lecture. The public lecture will be shown simultaneously on closed circuit television in the licensed comfort of the Black Hole Bistro for any members of the waiting line who are not able to get a theatre seat.
LIVE WEBCAST ONLINE
Enjoy the live webcast of Perimeter Institute Public Lectures from the comfort of your own home. Join us at 7pm ET night of the lecture and be part of the ONLINE virtual audience.
For most lectures the on-demand playback will be online within 24 hours after the live event. Check our YouTube page for the playbacks.
Who can attend: Everyone
Fee: Attendance to the lecture is free, but advance tickets are required. Due to the overwhelming response to past lectures, tickets will be honoured until 6:45 pm only. If you have not arrived by 6:45 pm your reservation may be filled by guests in the waiting line, and you may be asked to join the end of the waiting line.
Tickets: Tickets will be available online on Monday, Oct.19 starting at 9:00 am.
Organized by: Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
Location: Perimeter Institute, Mike Lazaridis Theatre of Ideas, 31 Caroline St. N., Waterloo, ON
http://www.perimeterinstitute.ca/outreach/general-public/public-lecture-series