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Lecture

Frontiers in Nanoscience

In course

PHYS-407: Frontiers in nanosciences

The course covers relevant experimental and theoretical concepts in nanoscale science, from fundamental aspects like quantum tunneling and quantum size effects, to hot topics like quantum transport and nanoscale magnetism. ...

Description

This lecture delves into the evolution of technology, starting from the fundamentals of electromagnetism and semiconductors to the development of mobile phones and quantum computing. It explores the journey from Maxwell and Faraday's discoveries to the present-day quantum technology, emphasizing the importance of fundamental and applied science in shaping our modern world.

Instructors (4)

Marina Pivetta

Klaus Kern

Klaus Kern is Professor of Physics at EPFL and Director and Scientific Member at the Max-Planck-Institute for Solid State Research in Stuttgart, Germany. He also is Honorary Professor at the University of Konstanz, Germany. His present research interests are in nanoscale science, quantum technology and in microscopy at the atomic limits of space and time. He holds a chemistry degree and PhD from the University of Bonn and a honorary doctors degree from the University of Aalborg. After his doctoral studies he was staff scientist at the Research Center Jülich and visiting scientist at Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill before joining the Faculty of EPFL in 1991 and the Max-Planck-Society in 1998. Professor Kern has authored and coauthored close to 700 scientific publications, which have received nearly 60‘000 citations. He has served frequently on advisory committees to universities, professional societies and institutions and has received numerous scientific awards and honors, including the 2008 Gottfried-Wilhelm-Leibniz Prize and the 2016 Van‘t Hoff Prize. Prof. Kern has also educated a large number of leading scientists in nanoscale physics and chemistry. During the past twenty-five years he has supervised one hundred PhD students and sixty postdoctoral fellows. Today, more than fifty of his former students and postdocs hold prominent faculty positions at Universities around the world.

Magalí Alejandra Lingenfelder

Magalí Lingenfelder is currently leading the Max Planck-EPFL Laboratory for Molecular Nanoscience. Her vision is to create atomically tailored interfaces for applications in two distinct areas of urgent technological and societal relevance: energy conversion and smart antimicrobial interfaces. To access the nanoscale, her group uses a combination of state-of-the-art scanning probe microscopy and solid state spectroscopy, allowing the study of kinetic processes in-situ under liquid flow and potential control conditions (operando electrocatalysis). She made seminal contributions to the field of metal-organic coordination networks on solid surfaces, and received the Otto Hahn medal in 2008 for the microscopic understanding of the chiral recognition process with submolecular resolution. She is a committed mentor, and since her relocation from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, USA to EPFL in 2013, she directed 3 MSc. theses, 4 PhD theses and 4 postdocs. She advocates for problem-oriented interdisciplinary research: she led 5 international research consortiums, delivered over 40 invited presentations and organized 9 conferences and 4 doctoral schools. In 2018, the Royal Society of Chemistry included her work in the first collection “Celebrating Excellence in Research: 100 Women of Chemistry”.

Official source

Ontological neighbourhood

Theoretical computer science

Theory of computation: Quantum computing

Related concepts (26)

Quantum computing

A quantum computer is a computer that exploits quantum mechanical phenomena. At small scales, physical matter exhibits properties of both particles and waves, and quantum computing leverages this behavior, specifically quantum superposition and entanglement, using specialized hardware that supports the preparation and manipulation of quantum states. Classical physics cannot explain the operation of these quantum devices, and a scalable quantum computer could perform some calculations exponentially faster than any modern "classical" computer.

Quantum algorithm

In quantum computing, a quantum algorithm is an algorithm which runs on a realistic model of quantum computation, the most commonly used model being the quantum circuit model of computation. A classical (or non-quantum) algorithm is a finite sequence of instructions, or a step-by-step procedure for solving a problem, where each step or instruction can be performed on a classical computer. Similarly, a quantum algorithm is a step-by-step procedure, where each of the steps can be performed on a quantum computer.

Quantum programming

Quantum programming is the process of designing or assembling sequences of instructions, called quantum circuits, using gates, switches, and operators to manipulate a quantum system for a desired outcome or results of a given experiment. Quantum circuit algorithms can be implemented on integrated circuits, conducted with instrumentation, or written in a programming language for use with a quantum computer or a quantum processor. With quantum processor based systems, quantum programming languages help express quantum algorithms using high-level constructs.

Quantum supremacy

In quantum computing, quantum supremacy, quantum primacy or quantum advantage is the goal of demonstrating that a programmable quantum computer can solve a problem that no classical computer can solve in any feasible amount of time, irrespective of the usefulness of the problem. The term was coined by John Preskill in 2012, but the concept dates back to Yuri Manin's 1980 and Richard Feynman's 1981 proposals of quantum computing.

Linear optical quantum computing

Linear optical quantum computing or linear optics quantum computation (LOQC) is a paradigm of quantum computation, allowing (under certain conditions, described below) universal quantum computation. LOQC uses photons as information carriers, mainly uses linear optical elements, or optical instruments (including reciprocal mirrors and waveplates) to process quantum information, and uses photon detectors and quantum memories to detect and store quantum information.

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Introduces the basics of quantum computing, covering qubits, superposition, entanglement, quantum gates, and algorithms, highlighting the efficiency of quantum computation.

Stefano Rusponi

Education: • 1999 Doctoral degree in Physics obtained at the Physics Department, University of Genova PhD thesis title: “STM study of nanostructures induced by ion sputtering on noble metals”. • 1994 University degree in Physics achieved at the Physics Department, University of Genova. Final mark: 110/110 cum laude Diploma thesis title: “A project for a new method of EELS spectroscopy”. • 1988 High school at the Liceo Scientifico G. P. Vieusseux in Imperia. Final mark: 60/60. Research career plan: • 2016 – present MER: Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in the group of Prof. Harald Brune • 2003 – 2016: 1er. Assistant: Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in the group of Prof. Harald Brune • 2000-2003: Assistant: Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) under the direction of Prof. Harald Brune • 1999-2000: Research associate: Max-Planck-Institut of Stuttgart under the direction of Prof. Klaus Kern Miscellaneous of professional activities: a) Review panel • Member of the Elettra proposal review panel • Member of the committee of the EDPY doctoral school in Physics at the EPFL b) Co-worker in the building of the X-Treme beamline: c) Referee for scientific journals: • Nat. Commun., Phys. Rev. Lett., Phys. Rev. B, J. Appl. Phys., Surf. Sci., J. Magn. Magn. Mater. Funding record a) Funding awarded • Quantum Properties of Nanostructures at Surfaces, FNS 200020-157081/1; (01/10/2014 – 31/09/2017); total amount attributed: 832'558 CHF; co-applicant • Controlling magnetic anisotropy by interfacial coupling, FNS 200021_146715/1; (01/01/2014 – 31/12/2016); total amount attributed: 367'800 CHF; co-applicant • Self-assembled bi-metallic magnetic pillar superlattices with enhanced blocking temperature, SER C10.0135; (01/08/2011 – 01/08/2013); total amount attributed: 170'000 CHF; co-applicant • Magnetic and Catalytic Properties of Surface Supported Metallic Nanostructures, FNS 200020-120493/1; (01/04/2008 – 31/03/2010); total amount attributed: 402'669 CHF; co-applicant • Magnetic and Catalytic Properties of Surface Supported Metallic Nanostructures, FNS 200020-112322/1; (01/04/2006 – 31/03/2008); total amount attributed: 347'633 CHF; co-applicant b) Approved proposals for the allocation of beamtime Swiss Light Source (SLS): main proposer: 9 co-proposer: 4 Elettra: main proposer: 5 co-proposer: 1 European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF): main proposer: 2 co-proposer: 11 Student supervisor • Co-director of PhD thesis: 4 PhD students

Dimitris Mousadakos: Seeking the smallest room temperature magnets; (in progress)
Romana Baltic: Controlling single atom magnetic anisotropy by interfacial coupling; (in progress)
Alberto Cavallin: Growth and magnetism of nanostructures investigated by STM, MOKE, and XMCD; (Oct. 2013), Thèse N°5941
Sergio Vlaic: Magnetism and atomic scale structure of bimetallic nanostructures at surfaces; (Dec. 2012), Thèse N° 5625

• Supervisor of PhD thesis (without co-direction): 4 PhD students

Anne Lehnert: Magnetism of individual adatoms and of epitaxial monolayers; (Jun. 2009), Thèse N° 4411
Geraud Moulas: Growth and magnetism of 2D bimetallic nanostructures; (Dec. 2008), Thèse N° 4231
Philipp Buluschek: Submonolayer growth of cobalt on metallic and insulating surfaces studied by scanning tunneling microscopy and kinetic Monte-Carlo simulations; (Nov. 2007), Thèse N° 3944
Nicolas Weiss: Propriétés magnétiques de nanostructures de Co adsorbées; (Apr. 2004), Thèse N° 2980