Jan 23, 2025: “The Second Quantum Revolution and Sissa’s Computer” by Philippe Chomaz

Kick off the International Year of Quantum (IYQ) with Philippe Chomaz, Executive Scientific Director of the Fundamental Research Department at CEA

In this special event, Dr. Philippe Chomaz will highlight global collaboration and innovation in quantum science and technology, with representation from UNESCO to underscore its international significance.

Now Available: YouTube Recording

See slides: [Slides_PhilippeChomaz]

When : Thursday January 23, 2025

16:00 CET  (10:00 EST)

Biography

Philippe Chomaz is a prominent physicist specializing in nuclear science, known for his leadership in research and dedication to science outreach. A graduate of the prestigious Ecole Normale Supérieure – rue d’Ulm, Paris, he earned his doctorate in theoretical nuclear physics from Université Paris-Sud. His research focuses on the exploration of exotic atomic nuclei, quantum chaos, and critical phenomena in nuclear systems.

Chomaz served as the director of the Institut de Recherche sur les Lois Fondamentales de l’Univers (IRFU) at the CEA (French Atomic Energy Commission), where he led major projects and contributed to advancing nuclear physics on both theoretical and experimental fronts. He has also been instrumental in developing large-scale research facilities like GANIL and SPIRAL2.

Beyond his academic contributions, Philippe Chomaz is an advocate for public engagement with science. He has participated in numerous initiatives, including TEDx talks and public lectures, where he demystifies complex topics such as quantum mechanics and its revolutionary impact on technology and society.

Abstract

Newtonian mechanics, Maxwellian electromagnetism, thermodynamics, and Clausius’s entropy… In 1900, physics was considered elegant and complete! Lord Kelvin famously remarked before the Royal Institution of Great Britain that only a few “small clouds in the blue sky of physics” remained.

These “small clouds” would grow into storms that revolutionized physics in the 20th century. The first storm revealed that light is granular, composed of particles called photons. The second demonstrated that electrons in atoms behave as waves. The world was no longer straightforward—it became a duality of wave and particle. The universe had entered the quantum realm.

This quantum revolution of physics ushered society into the information age during the second half of the 20th century. Quantum mechanics gave birth to the transistor and the laser, opening doors to computers and modern communication. Suddenly, everything became possible: the internet, algorithms, artificial intelligence, and more.

Today, researchers worldwide are preparing for a third quantum revolution, leveraging extraordinary quantum properties such as superposition, non-locality, and entanglement. Will quantum computers, ultimate sensors, and teleportation crack open Schrödinger’s cat’s box?

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Published in APS News