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This course will cover the basics of Quantum Foundations under three main headings. Part I – Novel effects in Quantum Theory. A number of interesting quantum effects will be considered. Interferometers: Mach-Zehnder interferometer, Elitzur-Vaidman bomb tester, The quantum-Zeno effect. The no cloning theorem. Quantum optics (single mode). Hong-Ou-Mandel dip. Part II - Conceptual and interpretational issues. Axioms for quantum theory for pure states: Von-Neumann measurement model. * The measurement (or reality) problem. EPR Einstein’s 1927 remarks, the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen argument. Bell’s theorem, nonlocality without inequalities. The Tirolson bound. The Kochen-Specker theorem and related work by Spekkens On the reality of the wavefunction: Epistemic versus ontic interpretations of the wavefunction and the Pusey-Barrett-Rudolph theorem proving the reality of the wave function. Gleason’s theorem. Interpretations. The landscape of interpretations of quantum theory (the Harrigen Spekkens classification). The de Broglie-Bohm interpretation, the many worlds interpretation, wave- function collapse models, the Copenhagen interpretation, and QBism. Part III - Structural issues. Reformulating quantum theory: we will look at some reformulations of quantum theory and consider the light they throw on the structure of quantum theory. These may include time symmetric quantum theory and weak measurements (Aharonov et al), quantum Bayesian networks, and the operator tensor formalism. Generalised probability theories: These are more general frameworks for probabilistic theories which admit classical and quantum as special cases. Reasonable principles for quantum theory: we will review some of the recent work on reconstructing quantum theory from simple principles. Indefinite causal structure and indefinite causal order. Finally we will conclude by looking at (i) the close link between quantum foundations and quantum information and (ii) possible future directions in quantum gravity motivated by ideas from quantum foundations. Instructor: Lucien Hardy/Bindiya Arora Students who are not part of the PSI MSc program should review enrollment and course format information here: https://perimeterinstitute.ca/graduate-courses

This course introduces the functional integral formalism, the renormalization group, and non-abelian gauge theory. Additional topics may be covered as time allows. Instructor: Francois David / Gang Xu Students who are not part of the PSI MSc program should review enrollment and course format information here: https://perimeterinstitute.ca/graduate-courses

This course offers an introduction to general relativity (GR), focusing on the core principles of Einstein's theory of gravity. We will explore key topics such as the equivalence principle, some essential concepts in differential geometry, the Einstein-Hilbert action, and Einstein's field equations. Furthermore, we will examine practical applications of general relativity in understanding black holes, cosmology, and gravitational waves. Instructor: Ghazal Geshnizjani Students who are not part of the PSI MSc program should review enrollment and course format information here: https://perimeterinstitute.ca/graduate-courses

Recent advancements in photodetection technologies and spectroscopy hold the promise of transforming intensity interferometry, thereby revolutionizing observational Astronomy by enabling observations to resolve significantly fainter objects than currently possible. This workshop serves as a platform to unite experts in photodetection, theoretical and observational astronomy, as well as observers and theorists from diverse disciplines, to explore the multifaceted capabilities of intensity interferometry.

The workshop's focus spans three key objectives:

• Develop and disseminate novel ideas concerning science cases unique to intensity interferometry.
• Synthesize insights from observers and photodetector experts concerning the requisite technologies and experimental techniques which will allow for new science with intensity interferometry.
• Initiate a concentrated effort to propel the development of large telescope arrays dedicated to intensity interferometry.

This workshop will be exclusively organized in plenary sessions, providing ample time for engaging discussions among participants.

Scientific Organizers

Masha Baryakhtar - University of Washington
Neal Dalal - Perimeter Institute
Marios Galanis - Perimeter Institute
Junwu Huang - Perimeter Institute

 

 

The aim of this course is to explore the main ideas of the statistical physics approach to critical phenomena. We will discuss phase transitions, using the ferromagnetic phase transition and the Ising model as our primary example, with particular emphasis on the renormalisation group approach. Instructor: Emilie Huffman / Maite Dupuis Students who are not part of the PSI MSc program should review enrollment and course format information here: https://perimeterinstitute.ca/graduate-courses

The first half of the course explains why fields are desirable when quantum mechanics meets special relativity. The second half introduces different kinds of spinor fields and their interactions. Instructor: Gang Xu Students who are not part of the PSI MSc program should review enrollment and course format information here: https://perimeterinstitute.ca/graduate-courses

Pedro will lead a mini-course (no credit) at Perimeter Institute. To express your interest in attending please complete this registration form (https://forms.office.com/r/nDQ6SDxSR4) by noon on Thursday, October 3. Pedro has selected 9 papers for this mini-course. -Infrared Photons and Gravitons by Weinberg, 1965 -Determination of an Operator Algebra for the 2D Ising Model by Kadanoff and Ceva, 1971 -Confinement of Quarks by Wilson, 1974, -Phenomenological Lagrangians by Weinberg, 1979, -Gravitational Effects on and of Vacuum Decay by Coleman and De Luccia, 1980 -Classical and Quantum Gravity Effects from Planckian Energy Superstring Collisions by Amati, Ciafaloni and Veneziano, 1987 -Quantum Spin Chains and The Haldane Gap by Affleck, 1988 -The Large N Limit of SFTs and Supergravity by Maldacena, 1997 -Entanglement Entropy and Quantum Field Theory by Calabrese and Cardy, 2008 If you think there are super nice papers that are missing that could be better than some of these in a particular topic please contact Pedro directly (pvieira@perimeterinstitute.ca). The format will be: A] Pedro will give a 1h30m lecture about one of these papers on a Monday or a Friday (the Monday or Friday right after B] unless there is a holiday) B] One week later, X students give a presentation of Y minutes about important recent papers that refer/are related to that paper. At the end of this lecture we give feedback about those presentations. What is X and what is Y depends on how many students volunteer to present. Of course, people who just want to attend without presenting are also most welcome! Location: Alice Room, 3rd Floor, Perimeter Institute, 31 Caroline St N, Waterloo Recording/Zoom Details: Lectures will be recorded for PIRSA; Zoom link will be provided to registered participants. Building Access: Participants who do not have an access card for Perimeter Institute must sign in at the security desk before each session. When attending the lectures you can use the free self-serve coffee/water station on the ground floor. Meals and snacks at the on-site Black Hole Bistro are available at the full menu cost.

 

Join us for a pioneering joint workshop between renowned research institutions in Munich and Waterloo! This exciting event will focus on the topic of quantum simulation, with additional talks delving into various subjects of quantum science and technology. Designed to include researchers across different levels, from group leaders, postdoctoral fellows, and PhD students, this inaugural collaboration aims to unite scientists from both locations, fostering valuable networking opportunities and promoting interdisciplinary collaboration. Don't miss this extraordinary opportunity to connect, exchange ideas, and shape the future of quantum research together! 
 

 

 

Understanding causality is fundamental to science and inspires wide-ranging applications, yet there are several distinct notions of causation. Recently, there have been important developments on the role of causality in quantum physics, relativistic physics and their interplay. These have unearthed a plethora of fascinating open questions regarding the nature of causation, emergence of space-time structure and the limits of quantum information processing. At the same time, causal reasoning has become an important tool in machine learning and statistics, with applications ranging from big data to healthcare. This conference brings together experts from different areas of physics working on questions related to causality, as well as selected researchers who bridge the gap between fundamental research and current industrial applications. The aim of the conference is to provide a venue for cross-pollination of these ideas through scientific exchange between these communities. The conference will focus on the following facets of causality:

 

• Quantum and classical causal inference

• Indefinite causal order and quantum reference frames

• Causality in quantum field theory and quantum gravity

• Experiments and applications of causality

 

Sponsored in part by:

 

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Important dates
Paper submission deadline: 24 May 2024 // 31 May 2024
Paper notification: 3 July 2024 Registration deadline (with application for financial assistance): 18 July 2024
Registration deadline: 28 August 2024
Conference: 16-20 September 2024   Update: The submission deadline has been extended to 31st May 2024 for
papers which clearly justify their relevance for the following three
topics:  1) classical causal inference,  2) causality in relativistic physics (including quantum field theory and quantum gravity) and  3) experiments in causality.    As we have received a sufficiently high number of submissions on the remaining topics (particularly indefinite causality and quantum causal models), the original deadline of 24th May still holds for submissions in this category.   ::  ::  ::
  Call for Abstracts

Prospective speakers can submit a paper for a contributed talk (in person or online) and/or a poster (in person only) via the Call for Abstracts. The Call for Abstracts is now open! Submissions for a talk will automatically be considered for a poster if not accepted for a talk. 

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Invited Speakers

Jessica Bavaresco (University of Geneva)
Cyril Branciard (CNRS, University Grenoble Alpes)
Rafael Chaves (Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte)
Giulio Chiribella (The University of Hong Kong)
Doreen Fraser (University of Waterloo)
Anne-Catherine de la Hamette (IQOQI Vienna)
Ciarán Lee (Spotify)
Tein van der Lugt (University of Oxford)
Joris M. Mooij (University of Amsterdam)
Mio Murao (University of Tokyo)
Alejandro Pozas-Kerstjens (University of Geneva)
Huw Price (Trinity College, Cambridge)
Renato Renner (ETH Zürich)
Thomas Richardson (University of Washington)
Sally Shrapnel (The University of Queensland)
Sumati Surya (Raman Research Institute)
Rainer Verch (University of Leipzig)

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Programme Committee

V Vilasini (ETH Zürich & Inria, University Grenoble Alpes) (PC Chair)
Augustin Vanrietvelde (Télécom Paris) (PC Co-chair)
Alastair Abbott (Inria, University Grenoble Alpes)
Časlav Brukner (IQOQI Vienna & University of Vienna)
Eric Cavalcanti (Griffith University)
Chris Fewster (University of York)
Lucien Hardy (Perimeter Institute)
Hlér Kristjánsson (Perimeter Institute & IQC & Université de Montréal)
Giulia Rubino (University of Bristol)
Nitica Sakharwade (Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II)
Robert Spekkens (Perimeter Institute)
Jacopo Surace (Perimeter Institute)
Elie Wolfe (Perimeter Institute)
Lin-Qing Chen (ETH Zürich & IQOQI Vienna)
Hippolyte Dourdent (ICFO Barcelona)
Tamal Guha (University of Hong Kong)
Robin Lorenz (Quantinuum, Oxford)
Maria Papageorgiou (IQOQI Vienna)
Nicola Pinzani (Université libre de Bruxelles)
Marco-Túlio Quintino (Sorbonne Université, Paris)
Marc-Olivier Renou (Inria Paris-Saclay & CPHT, École polytechnique)
David Schmid (ICTQT, University of Gdańsk)
John Selby (ICTQT, University of Gdańsk)
Akihito Soeda (National Institute of Informatics, Tokyo)
Matthew Wilson (University College London)
 

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Scientific Organizers

Hlér Kristjánsson (Perimeter Institute & IQC & Université de Montréal) (Chair)
V Vilasini (ETH Zürich & Inria, University Grenoble Alpes) 
Robert Spekkens (Perimeter Institute)
Lucien Hardy (Perimeter Institute)
Elie Wolfe (Perimeter Institute)
Jacopo Surace (Perimeter Institute)
Marina Maciel Ansanelli (Perimeter Institute)
Yìlè Yīng (Perimeter Institute)
María Ciudad Alañón (Perimeter Institute)
Daniel Centeno Díaz (Perimeter Institute)
Khushi Gandhi (Perimeter Institute & University of Waterloo)

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Previous editions:

Causalworlds 2022: The interface between quantum and relativistic causality, foundations and practicalities
Organised at ETH Zürich in 2022. Website: https://causalworlds.ethz.ch/"

 

The annual Graduate Students’ Conference showcases the diverse research directions at Perimeter Institute, both organized and presented by the students. Our graduate students are invited to share their best work with their fellow PhD students, PSI students and other PI residents interested in hearing about physics research and discussing it in a lively atmosphere full of questions.

PSI students are welcome to join as audience members on Friday, Sept 13 and to present a Lightning Talk if they wish to do so.

This is a theoretical physics course that aims to review the basics of theoretical mechanics, special relativity, and classical field theory, with the emphasis on geometrical notions and relativistic formalism, thus setting the stage for the forthcoming courses in Quantum Mechanics, and Quantum Field Theory in particular, as well as in General Relativity and Quantum Gravity. Instructor: Aldo Riello Students who are not part of the PSI MSc program should review enrollment and course format information here: https://perimeterinstitute.ca/graduate-courses