Mechanics between Two Worlds

Theoretical Physicists at Freie Universität Berlin Develop New Insights into Interface between Classical and Quantum Worlds. Scientists at Freie Universität Berlin in the group of physics professor Jens Eisert developed a novel method for gaining insight into the complex behavior of mechanical systems at the micro and nano scale. These systems are located at the interface of the physical worlds that, on the one hand, are described by classical mechanics, and on the other, by quantum theory, i.e., the theory of the behavior of atoms, molecules, and modes of light. Eisert's group, together with scientists from the University of Vienna in Markus Aspelmeyer's group, succeeded in establishing a new window into this interface. The subtle transition between the classical and the quantum mechanical worlds can be better understood by observing the dynamics of a small mechanical oscillating system. The scientific paper entitled "Observation of non-Markovian micro-mechanical Brownian motion" was published in the prestigious journal Nature . In the world known from everyday experience, mechanical systems have in principle perfectly known properties.