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Welcome

The Kyriakidis group is part of the Department of Physics and Atmospheric Science at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada. We are also affiliated with Dalhousie's Institute for Research in Materials.

We are a many-body quantum theory group investigating the spin and electronic properties of low-dimensional nanostructures. Currently, our research efforts are focussed on how to best control, in real time, the quantum dynamics and coherence of strongly interacting quantum dots. We approach the problem from the point of view of fundamental science, but with an eye towards what is currently (or soon will be) experimentally possible, either in next-generation nanoelectronic devices or quantum computing infrastructure (hardware). Our calculational techniques are a combination of analytic and computational methods.

We are always looking for talented postdoctoral, graduate, and undergraduate students to join our group. If you are interested, contact Professor Kyriakidis.

Why Quantum Nanoelectronics?

The remarkable achievements of the microelectronics industry during the last four decades has been entirely due to fabrication technology. Engineers have been getting better and better at making transistors smaller and smaller, and transistors are the workhorses of the microelectronics world. Computers, cell phones, palm pilots, and so on, have been getting smaller and faster because engineers have been able to squeeze more and more transistors on a single chip. The number of transistors on a single chip has been doubling every year for the last forty years. By any measure, this is an astounding achievement. But how much longer can this last? Many physicists believe we are very near the end of this trend.

The basic principles of a transistor's operation have remained essentially constant during this period of sustained exponential miniaturisation. But transistors are becoming so small, that they are now entering the realm described by quantum theory rather than the classical, Newtonian rules that hold sway over our macroscopic world. The physical principles on which the transistor is based simply break down in the quantum realm.

Rather than fight against quantum theory, our research aims to discover new governing principles upon which a new breed of transistors and the like can be based. These truly quantum devices will be capable of feats their classical counterparts can never achieve. In the strange quantum world, for example, a bit -- the zeroes and ones of binary logic -- can essentially be both zero and one at the same time. This is the principle of superposition. In addition, particles can be entangled with each other; each identical particle looses its individual identity; it makes sense to speak only of the single many-body entity rather than a single particle. This connection between particles can persist even when the particles are arbitrarily far apart! This is an experimental fact of quantum theory.

The principles of superposition and entanglement are the essence of the quantum computer. We are not quite there yet, but many groups around the world are racing to get there.