Michigan State University

Science at the Edge

Interdisciplinary Physics

 

October 31, 2014

11:30 a.m.

Room1400 Biomedical and Physical Sciences Building

Refreshments served at 11:15 a.m.

 

Mark Dykman

Department of Physics and Astronomy

 

Fluctuating Nonlinear Oscillators: From Nano-Dynamics to Quantum Superconducting Circuits

 

 

I will provide a brief overview of mesoscopic vibrational systems, which are currently studied in many areas, from nanomechanics to cavity quantum electrodynamics to Josephson-junction based systems. Besides various applications, mesoscopic oscillators allow one to address a general problem of quantum fluctuations away from thermal equilibrium. These fluctuations display unusual features, which have no analog in equilibrium systems. One of them is the mechanism of switching between coexisting stable periodic states, which we call quantum activation. The scaling behavior of the switching rates will be outlined and a comparison with the experiment will be made. I will also discuss the effect of fragility of the rates of rare events in nonequilibrium systems, which has been found in such diverse problems like population dynamics and nonequilibrium quantum fluctuations.

 

 

Shawna Prater / Secretary

Astrophysics Group

Michigan State University

567 Wilson Road, Room 3261

Biomedical Physical Sciences Bldg

East Lansing, MI 48824-2320

Ph: (517) 884-5601 Fax (517) 432-8802

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