Agenda
Histórico

15 de junho de 2026
14h00
Sala F-210 (IFSC-USP)

Amir O. Caldeira
Instituto de Física Gleb Wataghin
Universidade Estadual de Campinas

Macroscopic quantum phenomena and related matters: A brief history and the Nobel Prize in Physics 2025

It is my intention in this talk to present a chronological overview of the development of the basic ideas of what is nowadays called macroscopic quantum phenomena, show where to find and study them. I shall approach the problem presenting certain mesoscopic superconducting devices - the SQUIDs and CBJJs - which act as “giant atoms”, where effects such as the quantization of energy, and quantum mechanical tunneling of a macroscopic variable take place. I shall further discuss the implications of the occurrence of these quantum phenomena in such systems, and the unavoidable influences to which they are subject such as, for example, the presence of dissipative effects. Actually, these systems have become the paradigm of the area of quantum dissipation. Next, I shall present the experimental results which undisputably prove the existence of macroscopic quantum phenomena in superconducting devices, namely the pioneer measurements of J. Clarke, M. Devoret, and J. Martinis for which they were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2025. Finally, I shall mention other possible examples of these phenomena in condensed matter physics, their potential applications, and even impact on the foundations of quantum mechanics.