阿龙探案蒙特卡洛符号问题

量子多体计算领域有几个传统的谜团或者说神话故事,比如量子蒙特卡洛计算一旦遇到符号问题,其重要性抽样就当场失效;比如张量网络计算总能克服万难成功找到指数大的希尔伯特空间中那个甜蜜的小角落;比如第一性原理计算得到的能带可以煞有介事地解释关联电子材料的能谱;……。既然是谜团,就是可以没有标准答案,从业人员信与不信全看当时的心情,或者想也不想,别人怎么说我也怎么说。几十年过去了,谜团或者说神话故事,就这么口口相传下来。但是总有愿意琢磨事儿的人 ...... Continue reading

   

在纠缠中窥见自然的奥秘

身无彩凤双飞翼,心有灵犀一点通

李商隐《无题》

唐代诗人李商隐的这首诗,道尽了人世间痴情男女虽天各一方、但彼此心意相通、似有一条丝线相连的缠绵。

其实,电子的世界亦如此。配对的电子,一旦形成一个纠缠态,无论相距多远,它们都能感受到彼此的“心意” (自旋)。它们一个向上,一个向下,仿佛约好了似的。只要有一方改变状态,那么另一方就会立刻感受到,并且调整成与对方相反的状态。Continue reading

情愿不自由,便是自由了

时令不停流转,经过残酷阴沉荒原般的四月,到了五月,人们总会回过神来想起青年。想起身处初夏阳光中的感觉,看着满山茂盛的树木在微风中摇曳,看着蔚蓝的大海和视线尽头那一片氤氲中满是希望和新鲜的世界,多好,一切都是绿的、蓝的、清澈的、新鲜的、天真的、诚实的和健康的。Continue reading

   

Unitary CFT description of DQCP is denied from quantum entanglememt entropy

The research team developed a new and more efficient quantum algorithm of the Monte Carlo techniques adopted by scientists to measure the Renyi entanglement entropy of objects. With this new tool, they measured the Rényi entanglement entropy at the DQCP and found the scaling behaviour of the entropy, i.e. how the entropy changes with the system sizes, is in sharp contrast with the description of conventional LGW types of phase transitions. Continue reading

from Quantum Materials to the Origin of Black Holes


In the time of quantum technology and big data, scientists start to integrate Artificial Intelligence (AI) and computational approaches into the fundament research about our mother Nature and Universe. This series of two lectures will help us to unfold such interesting discovery processes. Dr Zi Yang MENG, Associate Professor at HKU Department of Physics, will explain the important role played by AI and computation in the modern quantum material research in the first lecture. Find more

无愁河上的浪荡汉子们

这个题目乍一看有点儿戏谑,甚至有些许少儿不宜的味道,其实《无愁河的浪荡汉子》是木刻家、画家、作家黄永玉在80多岁时开始写作的以自己为原型的人生自传,目前已经出到第三部。第一部《朱雀城》从传主张序子两岁开始,写他的太婆、爷爷、父亲母亲、姑姑和表叔们——其中一位表叔就是写出《边城》、《长河》和《中国古代服饰研究》的沈从文——一个大家族,和他们生活的朱雀古城(以湘西凤凰为原型),古城的四季时光、风俗民情与繁华时的荣耀。 Continue reading

     

A bona fide topological Mott insulator discovered in twisted bilayer graphene model


Imagestacking two sheets of graphene – the 2D form of graphite, or the pencil at your hand – in which the carbon atoms form a hexagonal lattice and twist the top sheet out of alignment with the sheet below, yielding a periodic arrangement of atoms named moiré pattern. Do you know that at a twisted angle of about 1o – people now call it the ‘magic’ angle – the system could exhibit very exotic behaviours such as becoming an insulator, a metal or even a superconductor? Can you imagine the same carbon atom in your pencil (graphite) becoming a superconductor when twisted to the magic angle? It indeed did as people discovered it in 2018, but why? Continue reading

“只想做个书生”和一则笑话 | 科学遐思

其实,科研人员中的很多人,只想做个书生,就是感兴趣,就是想研究些问题,给人生找一个寄托。对于科学问题的珍惜,和对于文学、艺术、历史等等问题的珍惜是一样的,有了寄托就有了现世的安定,各人对于环境心事才能变得恩深义重,像古来的圣贤当着大事一样,诚意正心,斩断一切顾虑。我们这样的凡人有了这样的现世珍惜,才可以心正力正,行事庶几如击鼓催花,记记中节,志气不坠,不落于无常。纵使外界天下大乱,亦可以守住内心的平衡。 Continue reading

关于纠缠的十四行诗

十四行诗,英文叫Sonnet,老一辈翻译家还曾根据音译翻成商籁体,很好听。其实是欧洲的格律诗,最初是小诗、小歌谣,也不一定十四行,随着历史的演进十四行诗句的格式逐渐被定型下来,而且押韵结构也有了严格的限制。在文艺复兴时的意大利,有了彼特拉克体(Petrarchan Sonnet),音韵优美,以歌颂爱情为主。一般分为两部分,前一部分由两段四行诗组成,韵脚为a-b-b-a,a-b-b-a;后一部分由两段三行诗组成,韵脚为c-d-e,c-d-e。 Continue reading