International Symposium on Quantum Optics and Mesoscopic Physics
The symposium was held on July 13 and 14, 1998, at the NTT Atsugi R&D
Center in collaboration with the Yamamoto Quantum Fluctuation Project, ERATO,
Japan Science and Technology Corporation (JST). Although it has been 70 years
since the birth of quantum mechanics, the connections between the observed
phenomena and the fundamental postulates of the theory are still rather remote.
However, recent progress in experimental techniques, such as nanofabrication,
has begun to shed light on the behavior of one photon and one electron. NTT
Basic Research Laboratories and ERATO have led this field, and the symposium
aspired to stimulate discussions in Japan and abroad.
Mr. Moritaka Nakamura, President of Japan Science and Technology Corporation and
Dr. Koichi Matsuda, NTT Senior Vice President of the Science and Core Technology
Laboratory Group, opened the symposium with welcoming remarks. Next, Professor
Yoshihisa Yamamoto, Executive Scientist of NTT Basic Research Laboratories,
Professor of Stanford University, and Project Director of Yamamoto Quantum
Fluctuation Project, ERATO, JST, gave a plenary lecture.
On the 13th, the symposium focused on mesoscopic physics, such as single
electronics, bosonic systems, fermionic systems, and scanning tunneling
microscopy. The symposium was addressed by the leading scientists in this field,
Professor Tord Claeson of Chalmers University of Technology, Goethenburg, and
Professor Seigo Tarucha of the University of Tokyo and NTT Research Professor.
There were 9 oral and 12 poster presentations.
On the 14th, the symposium focused on quantum optics, microlaser, cold atoms,
quantum statistics of excitons and atoms, and quantum information. The symposium
heard from the leading scientists in this field, Professor Serge Haroche of
Ecole Normal Superieure, Paris, as well as Professor Masahito Ueda of Hiroshima
University. There were 10 oral and 12 poster presentations.
The participants were 350 people (companies and universities: 120, NTT: 120, JST
and ERATO: 110). One participant was strongly impressed by the new possibilities
in this field for the future, and another was pleased to know that a new
research field has been born in Japan. All slides used in the oral presentations
were summarized as proceedings, which were distributed to researchers in Japan
and abroad. The symposium was recorded on videotape and the tape has been used
for public relations.