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Events on Friday, November 8th, 2019

Theory Seminar (High Energy/Cosmology)
Black Holes to Algebraic Curves: Consequences of the Weak Gravity Conjecture
Time: 11:00 am - 12:30 pm
Place: Chamberlin 5280
Speaker: Tom Rudelius, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton
Abstract: The Weak Gravity Conjecture holds that in any consistent theory of quantum gravity, gravity must be the weakest force. This simple proposition has surprisingly nontrivial physical consequences, which in the case of supersymmetric string/M-theory compactifications lead to nontrivial geometric consequences for Calabi-Yau manifolds. In this talk we will describe these conjectured geometric consequences in detail and show how they are realized in concrete examples, deriving new results about 5d supersymmetric black holes in the process.
Host: Gary Shiu
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Physics Department Colloquium
Introduction to Quantum Error Correction: Schrödinger meets Maxwell’s Demon
Time: 3:30 pm
Place: 2241 Chamberlin Hall
Speaker: Steven Girvin, Yale
Abstract: A ‘second quantum revolution’ is underway based on our new understanding of how information can be stored and manipulated using quantum hardware. Even more remarkable than the concept of quantum computation is the concept of quantum error correction. We know that measurement ‘back action’ disturbs a quantum state when we observe it. Nevertheless, it is possible to store an unknown quantum state and, if it develops errors due to imperfect hardware, we can measure and correct such errors to recover the original unknown state. Crucially, we must be able to do this without ever learning anything about that unknown state. This talk will present an elementary introduction to the basic theoretical concepts underlying quantum error correction for discrete systems (qubits) as well as for continuous-variable systems (harmonic oscillators).
Host: Alex Levchenko
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