Quantum Colloquium on May 19, 2026

We invite you to the colloquium of the "Quantum Technology Initiative" project on May 19, 2026 at 16:30 in the Auditorium 501 of the House of Science of the University of Latvia (5th floor). Speaker at the colloquium will be Pascal Degiovanni, researcher at École Normale Supérieure de Lyon in France.

Topic: Electricity from Ampère to electron quantum optics

A little over 200 years ago, André-Marie Ampère laid the foundations of electromagnetism by introducing the concept of electric current. With the help of Michael Faraday, he paved the way for the great synthesis achieved by James Clerk Maxwell

In this lecture, we will trace the thread of history from Ampère’s original insights to recent developments. We will explore the evolution from classical electrical circuits to quantum conductors and circuits, highlighting how the transport of charge and energy changes as the dimensions of conductors and circuits are reduced.

We will then see how current questions about the interaction between quantum electrical currents and photons naturally extend the work of Faraday, Maxwell, and their successors. This journey will take us into the fascinating realm of quantum transport, where the laws of optics –and later quantum optics – become the key to a new understanding of electricity.

The lecture is intended for a general audience, especially physics students.

To predict the number of participants, please fill out the application form by May 15, 2026.

Photography and filming will take place during the event, the materials will be posted on the social media and website of the Latvian Quantum Initiative.