General Physics Colloquium, Professor Valla Fatemi, Applied & Engineering Physics, Cornell University

Title:  Quantum Mechanics in Electric Circuits

Host:  Brad Ramshaw

Abstract:  Can macroscopic systems display quantum physics typically associated with atoms and molecules? In the mid-1980s, John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret, and John M. Martinis answered this question affirmatively with groundbreaking experiments that revealed quantum dynamics in electric circuits. Their research, recognized by the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics, opened a new frontier for exploring quantum mechanics in physically large and collective mode systems. In this colloquium, I will discuss the question, the prize-winning experiments, and the downstream impact that their new understanding has had on basic science and technology.