Date/Time Date(s) - 19/11/202510:30 am - 11:30 am
BSB 108
Dr. Yoni Kahn Assistant Professor University of Toronto
Profile: https://www.physics.utoronto.ca/members/kahn-yonatan-yoni/
TITLE: Quantum or Classical? Cavity Shifts in Electron Magnetic Moment Measurements
ABSTRACT:
The magnetic moment of the electron is the most precisely known property of a fundamental particle, and its measurement currently stands at sub-parts-per-trillion precision. Pushing this measurement to another decimal place of precision requires a rigorous treatment of boundary condition effects on the electron energy levels, known as the cavity shift. I will present a new calculation of this effect in both relativistic and non-relativistic quantum mechanics, and show — perhaps surprisingly — that these quantum calculations exactly reproduce decades-old calculations of the cavity shift using only classical electrodynamics. Along the way I will relate these computations to the early history of quantum electrodynamics and offer some musings on understanding quantum phenomena with classical reasoning.