Colloquium

Upcoming Colloquium

Analog quantum simulation on Google's Willow processor
Dr. Aaron Szasz, Google Quantum AI

April 27, 2026
11:00am in HSCI-105

Aaron Szasz

The standard approach to quantum computation involves digital quantum circuits, in which discrete quantum gates are applied to individual qubits or pairs of qubits. An alternative approach is analog quantum simulation, in which we allow all qubits to interact with each other simultaneously. The analog approach increases the amount of quantum evolution we can perform on the device before being impacted by external sources of noise, at the cost of reduced control over the evolution. In this talk, I will describe two recent experiments at Google using this analog quantum simulation approach on our quantum chips: an experiment on quantum thermalization, and an experiment on the transition between insulating and superfluid phases of matter. I will also briefly discuss my path to becoming a researcher at Google Quantum.

capacitively coupled superconducting circuit
Fig. Capacitively coupled superconducting circuit (left) and its phase diagram (right), showing Mott insulator, Bose glass, and superfluid phases versus hopping and disorder.

About the Colloquium

The Colloquium is a unique opportunity for students to learn about new developments in physics and what physicists do after they graduate. Hosted by the Physics and Astronomy Department at California State University, Long Beach, the weekly meetings invite guests from universities, research laboratories, and industry to present and discuss current topics in physics. All students are encouraged to attend for a well-rounded experience and training in physics.

Colloquium Coordinator

For information and suggestions about the colloquium please contact the colloquium coordinator:

Dr. Zoltan Papp
Zoltan.Papp@csulb.edu

Schedule

Additional details will be posted as they become available.

Spring 2026 Colloquia
DateTitleSpeaker and Affiliation
April 27, 2026Analog quantum simulation on Google's Willow processorDr. Aaron Szasz, Google Quantum AI
May 4, 2026Student Research Presentations IPhysics students, CSU Long Beach
May 6, 2026Student Research Presentations IIPhysics students, CSU Long Beach

Previous Colloquia

Previous Colloquia for Spring 2026
DateTitleSpeaker and Affiliation
April 20, 2026Creating Atomic Superlattices by Chemically Functionalizing Low-Dimensional MaterialsDr. Tamar Mentzel, UC Riverside
April 14, 2026Data Memory Storage: Past, Present & Future
(Distinguished Lecture Speaker)		Dr. Stuart S. P. Parkin, Max Planck Institute for Microphysics, Halle, Germany
April 6, 2026A New Approach to the Flavor PuzzleDr. Michael Ratz, UC Irvine
March 23, 2026The Story of Five Physicists who framed the Atomic AgeDr. Zoltan Papp, CSU Long Beach
March 11, 2026Twinkle Twinkle Dying Star: Massive Stars at the Intersection of Large-Scale Simulations and Time-Domain SurveysTBA
March 9, 2026Gravitational Wave Astronomy - A New Window into the UniverseDr. Jon Feicht, Caltech
March 4, 2026The Evolution of Supermassive Black Holes: from the Event Horizon to the Cosmic WebTBA
March 2, 2026From Voids to Clusters: Deciphering the Drivers of Differential Galaxy Evolution Across the Cosmic WebTBA
February 25, 2026Characterizing Exo-Kuiper Belts with Polarimetry and GPU-Enabled ModelingTBA
February 23, 2026How Environment Shapes the Structure and Star Formation of Low-Mass GalaxiesTBA
February 16, 2026A Cluster Carol: Asteroseismology of Red Giants in Stellar ClustersDr. Madeline Howell, The Ohio State University
February 9, 2026An Electronic Structure Toolbox for Quantum MaterialsDr. Nicholas Dale, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
February 2, 2026Magnetic Proximity Effects and Spin–Orbit Torque in Two-Dimensional Ferromagnet HeterostructuresDr. Mark Lohmann, Caltech
January 26, 2026Neural Network–Based Classification and Regression of Magnetohydrodynamic Modes in TokamaksDr. Laszlo Bardoczi, UC Irvine

The Colloquium Archive has the Colloquia from previous semesters.

Sponsors

We acknowledge with gratitude donations and support from the following present sponsors:

  • H.E. and H.B. Miller and Family Endowment
  • Benjamin Carter
  • Mary L. Bresnan
  • K. Y. Shen
  • American Physical Society
  • Anonymous

We also acknowledge with gratitude our past donors: The Forty-Niner Shops, Inc., The Northrop Grumman Foundation, Sandra Dana, Anonymous.

If you wish to support the Colloquium, please contact the colloquium coordinator or the department chair. Thank you!