RSVP required for this Inaugural Annals of Physics Virtual Seminar.
Time and again, one encounters marvelous unifying physics that links phenomena from the most miniscule to astronomical scales. Universal phase transitions in magnets, superconductors, and the cosmos; simple harmonic motion from neutrinos to fluids to galaxies; defect and structure formation in the early Universe and in liquid Helium---to name just a few. Here, we explore how the inverted harmonic oscillator, the lesser known sister of the simple harmonic oscillator, offers fertile grounds for the same beautiful dynamics across scales and tantalizing ‘quantum escapades’. In its presence, deep parallels become manifest in quantum Hall systems, quantum optics, and curved spacetime. We journey through these parallels, linking phenomena as disparate as tunneling across point contacts, squeezing, Hawking-Unruh radiation, and black hole ringdown to offer fresh cross-disciplinary perspectives and new predictions.
