Ligo is Quantum

Event Date:
2023-07-18T10:00:00
2023-07-18T11:00:00
Event Location:
Hennings Building - Room 318
Speaker:
Bill Unruh
Intended Audience:
Graduate
Local Contact:

Swarn Rai 

pitpoffice@phas.ubc.ca

Event Information:

Since Bohr set out his interpretation of Quantum Mechanics which
separated small quantum systems from classical measuring systems, the question
as to whether or not there was a physical division between the quantum and the
classical. Is there some criterion which divides the world into quantum bits
and classical bits? Experiments are not answering the question. In particular
I will argue that the 40Kg mirrors of Ligo have already been shown to be
quantum by showing that that the quantum noise of Ligo arises from an
interference of non-commuting aspects of the laser light used to measure the
gravitational wave effect on the mirrors, and interference which would not be
there if the mirrors were classical objects.

Add to Calendar 2023-07-18T10:00:00 2023-07-18T11:00:00 Ligo is Quantum Event Information: Since Bohr set out his interpretation of Quantum Mechanics which separated small quantum systems from classical measuring systems, the question as to whether or not there was a physical division between the quantum and the classical. Is there some criterion which divides the world into quantum bits and classical bits? Experiments are not answering the question. In particular I will argue that the 40Kg mirrors of Ligo have already been shown to be quantum by showing that that the quantum noise of Ligo arises from an interference of non-commuting aspects of the laser light used to measure the gravitational wave effect on the mirrors, and interference which would not be there if the mirrors were classical objects. Event Location: Hennings Building - Room 318