Physics Colloquium: What does it mean to see quantum mechanics?

Physics Colloquium
What does it mean to see quantum mechanics?

Dr. Victoria Borish
Postdoctoral Associate
Department of Physics
University of Colorado Boulder

Abstract:
Quantum mechanics is crucial to a lot of modern physics research and current technologies, so it is important to teach it to physics students. However, the subject is often considered very mathematical and abstract, which may intimidate many capable students, potentially turning them away from the field. One way some instructors of undergraduate courses are trying to make the subject more concrete is by incorporating a sequence of quantum optics experiments into their courses, so students have the opportunity to see quantum phenomena themselves. In this talk, I will discuss education research investigating learning outcomes for students working with these experiments across different institutions. First, I will discuss the landscape of these experiments, including how and why they are used in undergraduate courses. Next, I will present student and instructor ideas about why seeing quantum effects in experiments is important along with a discussion of what contributed to students achieving related learning outcomes. Last, I will describe a plan for future research investigating best practices for using experiments to teach undergraduate students about the capabilities and limitations of quantum technologies. This work can help initiate conversations about how quantum experiments can be most effectively incorporated into the undergraduate physics curriculum.

Speaker Bio:
Victoria Borish is a post-doctoral researcher in the Lewandowski group studying student learning in upper-level lab courses, with a focus on student experiences with quantum labs. Prior to this, she received her PhD in Applied Physics from Stanford University where she was an NSF Graduate Research Fellow and worked in the Schleier-Smith lab studying many-body quantum physics with Rydberg atoms.

Intended Audience:
Anyone with interest in the topic. All are Welcome.

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