Mustangs earn only one hit by Long Beach State’s Stuart SPORTS, pg. 8
Monday, April 2, 2012
Professor contributes to computer technology
Volume LXXVI, Number 96
www.mustangdaily.net
‘We are a community of one’ The Cal Poly community gathered to remember the life of Osvaldo Ponce Thursday on campus.
SAMANTHA EDWARDS
Special to the Mustang Daily
A Cal Poly research team is working on one of the final steps to build the world's first large-scale quantum computer. If the results turn out as expected, physics assistant professor Katharina Gillen’s research could be the missing key. “It would just be awesome if somehow I could provide one piece of the puzzle,” Gillen said. “Many people have more resources than I do, but I could provide just this one piece of the puzzle that helps the community solve these problems, in our case building a quantum computer.” A quantum computer is an instrument that can perform large operational tasks on data much faster than a classical computer. Researchers are still looking for a way to store large amounts of information in quantum bits in order to someday build a quantum computer that can be used for practical purposes. It has been established among other researchers that using neutral atoms in light could work for quantum computing, but finding a way to trap those atoms is the issue. There are general ways to trap atoms, but many of them cannot be used to trap the thousands needed for a quantum computer, Gillen said. That is the focus of Gillen’s project. "I'm hoping to simply show that you can fill these traps with atoms," Gillen said. "Once I've done that, I want to confirm what I have calculated in terms of how well they trap the atoms and confirm that they could be used for quantum computing." Gillen's goal is to prove atoms can be loaded into a tiny circular pinhole trap. Lasers with light and dark spots would shine on the pinhole — these light and dark spots minimize decoherence. If this can be done, someday it might be possible to isolate single atoms into a sequence of traps to create an array of qubits, or units of quantum information. The lasers would then be able to alter the atoms in order to make computations, based on factors such as the amount of time they hit the atoms, she said. “We can measure what the light pattern looks like, and so we did confirm that that looks like what we calculated and so we're pretty certain that the atoms will react to it the way that we think, but it is a big deal to actually prove that,” Gillen said. Although the device can see COMPUTER, pg. 2
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CHRISTIAN MILLAN/MUSTANG DAILY
“I hope that people will remember him for that illuminating effect that he had on so many of our lives,” Osvaldo Ponce’s childhood friend, Ruben Baerga (above), said at the service.
CHRISTIAN MILLAN/MUSTANG DAILY
Cal Poly students, faculty and community members gathered outside Yosemite Hall to remember Ponce with a candlelight vigil and moment of silence.
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The mood was somber as students, faculty, family and friends gathered outside Yosemite Hall last Thursday to remember physics freshman Osvaldo Ponce, who committed suicide two weeks earlier. Ponce was remembered as a “warm and easygoing person,” who was up front and supportive of others, said Ponce’s childhood friend Ruben Baerga, who spoke at the service. “I hope that people will remember him for the illuminating effect that he had on so many of our lives on a constant basis,” Baerga said. Ponce was always there to help a friend in need, but wasn’t able to ask for help when he needed it most, Baerga said. “He was the kind of person that you could always rely on to be up front with you about any issues or problems you have,” Baerga said. Baerga, dean of students Jean DeCosta, dean of the College of Science and Mathematics Phil Bailey and head of Counseling Services Bruce Meyer all spoke at the memorial service, led by campus pastor and director of The Front Porch, Beau Smith. DeCosta said students need to pull together and support each other in the face of tragedy and also reminded students if they ever feel alone, there are resources and people at Cal Poly to help them. “We are a community of one: We help each other, we support each other, we care for each other,” DeCosta said at the service. Afterward, as the sun was fading on the chilly Thursday evening, attendees lit candles and held a moment of silence to honor Ponce. The memorial service was held almost exactly two weeks after Ponce was found in his car with a container of hydrogen sulfide, a gas that can be toxic in confined spaces. Ponce was part of an invisible minority on campus of students who wrestle with suicidal thoughts. A study conducted by Cal Poly’s counseling services of more than 1,000 students in 2010 indicated that 7 percent of male students and 5 percent of female students report seriously considering
attempting suicide according to Meyer, who directs Cal Poly’s on-campus counseling services. Four percent of respondents screened positive for depression, while 8 percent screened positive for anxiety. Approximately half of respondents reported having their studies adversely affected by mental issues for at least one to five days, Meyer said. When overwhelmed, students shouldn’t feel that they have to handle everything themselves, Meyer said. The best way to get better is reaching out for help, Meyer said. “Don’t try to handle everything alone,” Meyer said. “There are a lot of people on campus who are ready and willing to help you.” Students can also help their friends if they say they’re struggling with depression by being supportive listeners. People should focus on listening first and knowing available resources as well, Meyer said. “The first thing to do is simply listen and be with them rather than trying to solve everything,” Meyer said. Students can also help their friends by directing them to the right resources, or walking them over to counseling, Meyer said. Counseling services welcomes walk-ins from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, or students can visit Peers Understanding Listening Speaking and Educating (PULSE), a peer counseling service for support from fellow students. PULSE is a good resource for students looking for someone to talk to about stress, drugs or depression and similar problems, said psychology sophomore Ariana Salsido, who volunteers with PULSE’s Thoughtful Lifestyle Choices group. “(Students) can come to PULSE if they just want someone to talk to,” Salsido said. In supporting friends dealing with depression or suicidal thoughts, students should work to be good listeners and not question their friend’s motives. Salsido said it’s important to “normalize the issue ... (and) don’t make it seem like it’s foreign.” This allows people to be more comfortable in opening up and asking for help, Salsido said. Students who don’t feel comfortable visiting PULSE or other counseling services can also call SLO Hotline at 800-5494499 or National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 for someone to talk to.
INDEX News.............................1-3 Arts..............................4-5
Classifieds/Comics.........7 Sports...........................6-8