Smitha Vishveshwara - UIUC | Physics
Wednesday, October 25th, 10:45AM EDT (Zoom meeting starts at 10:30 EDT)
From nano-constrictions to event horizons: facets of the inverted harmonic oscillator
Time and again, one encounters unifying physics that links phenomena from the most miniscule to astronomical scales. Universal phase transitions in magnets, superconductors, and the cosmos; realizations of the physics of elementary particles in condensed matter; defect and structure formation in the early Universe and in liquid Helium---to name just a few. Here, I discuss how the inverted harmonic oscillator, the lesser-known sister of the simple harmonic oscillator, offers fertile ground for the same beautiful dynamics across scales. In its presence, deep parallels become manifest in quantum Hall systems, quantum optics, and curved spacetime. The non-commuting nature of the lowest Landau level sets the stage for the parallel between quantum Hall physics and quantum optics, including the construction of coherent states. The presence of a saddle potential in the lowest Landau level further links phenomena as disparate as tunneling across point contacts, squeezing, Hawking-Unruh radiation, and black hole ringdown. The inverted harmonic oscillator underlies these commonalities, providing fresh cross-disciplinary perspectives and new predictions.