Scientific Series

Introduction of the torsion tensor on the space-time manifold  leads to a Weyl invariant geometry, in which t e torsion trace acts as a "U(1)" compensating field for the conformal transformations. Such  symmetry can be extended to the whole matter sector included in the  standard model by coupling the Higgs scalar (and all other possible  fundamental scalars) to the torsion. A relevant question is then whether such framework can be used to describe cosmic inflation, as a spontaneous symmetry breaking phenomenon. It turns out that this is indeed possible because the Weyl invariance imposes a distinct field space geometry, which introduces a slow roll plateau in the otherwise  too steep quartic potential dictated by Weyl symmetry. The model can  have observable consequences that distinguish it from other inflationary scenarios, at least under some choices of initial conditions.

A recent experiment in the Rydberg atom chain observed unusual oscillatory quench dynamics with a charge density wave initial state, and theoretical works identified a set of many-body ``scar states'' in the Hamiltonian as potentially responsible for the atypical dynamics. In the same nonintegrable Hamiltonian, we discover several eigenstates at infinite temperature that can be represented exactly as matrix product states with finite bond dimension, for both periodic boundary conditions (two exact E = 0 states) and open boundary conditions (two E = 0 states and one each E =± √2). This discovery explicitly demonstrates violation of strong eigenstate thermalization hypothesis in this model. These states show signatures of translational symmetry breaking with period-2 bond-centered pattern, despite being in 1D at infinite temperature. We show that the nearby many-body scar states with energies E ~± 1.33 andE ~ ± 2.66 can be well approximated as ``quasiparticle excitations" on top of our exact E = 0 states, and propose a quasiparticle explanation of the strong oscillations observed in experiments.

Experiments on organic crystals whose structure is well-described by the two-dimensional triangular lattice have found a lack of magnetic ordering down to the lowest accessible temperatures, indicative of a quantum spin liquid phase; however, the precise nature of this phase remains an open question.  In this talk, I present strong evidence that the triangular lattice Hubbard model at half filling, a physically motivated model of these organic crystals, realizes a chiral spin liquid phase.  In particular, I show that the model has a nonmagnetic insulating phase between a metallic phase for weak interactions and a magnetically ordered phase for strong interactions, and that the intermediate phase exhibits the expected properties of a chiral spin liquid: spontaneous breaking of time-reversal symmetry, topological ground state degeneracy, a quantized spin Hall effect, and characteristic level counting in the entanglement spectrum.  These results were obtained using the infinite-system density matrix renormalization group (iDMRG) method in a mixed real- and momentum-space basis; in the talk, I will also discuss the benefits of this mixed-space approach to DMRG in general, including its applicability to systems such as twisted bilayer graphene for which a large unit cell makes real-space DMRG impractical. 

Hidden sectors are motivated by a range of phenomena unexplained by the Standard Model, such as dark matter, neutrino masses, and the baryon asymmetry. Hidden sector particles below the weak scale can be copiously produced at high-energy and intensity-frontier experiments, but may have evaded detection with current searches.
I will discuss new searches I am doing with the BaBar collaboration that are probing unexplored, well-motivated territory for hidden sectors. I will also show how signatures such as displaced vertices motivate comprehensive, complementary searches at low- and high-energy experiments.

We consider a natural extension of general relativity, by the addition of a term which is a topological invariant when the cosmological constant is in fact constant.  Allowing the cosmological constant to vary, we discover it is endowed with a natural dynamics, which also includes a mechanism to suppress its value.   A key role in hiding the consequences of a dynamical cosmological constant is played by the torsion of the spacetime connection.

As a dynamical variable, the varying cosmological constant turns out to be canonically conjugate to a measure of intrinsic, cosmological time, given by the Chern-Simons invariant of the Ashtekar connection (which we originally studied with Chopin Soo).  As a result, a small quantum universe that "knows what time it is" does not know the value of the cosmological constant, and visa versa.   This leads to some novel scenarios for the early universe.

This is joint work in progress with Stephon Alexander, Joao Magueijo and Robert Sims.

Since the first detection two years ago, gravitational waves have promised to revolutionize the physics and astrophysics of compact objects. But to understand what these gravitational waves are telling us, we need to understand how these relativistic binary systems form in the first place.  In this talk, I will describe the various astrophysical pathways for forming the binary mergers detected by LIGO/Virgo, and how specific features of the gravitational waves (such as the eccentricities and spins) can illuminate the formation histories of these exotic objects.  In particular, I will discuss how black holes can undergo multiple mergers in dense star clusters, creating a second generation of black holes more massive (and with potentially greater spins) than those formed through the collapse of isolated stars.

Quantum computers have the potential to significantly outperform classical computers at certain tasks. However, many applications of quantum computers require a fault-tolerant quantum computer. Such a device would function correctly even in the presence of noise. State-of-the art quantum computing architecture proposals require at least hundreds of thousands of high quality qubits to achieve fault-tolerance. These requirements are far beyond today's technology. In this talk, I will present results about a novel quantum computing architecture which is based on 3-d surface codes (a family of quantum error-correcting codes). This architecture may have smaller resource requirements than the current leading architectures for certain experimental parameters. I will show that the 3-d surface code has a transversal CCZ gate and I will discuss a cellular automaton which can be used to decode 3-d surface codes. Time permitting, I will also discuss the relationship between 3-d surface codes and 3-d colour codes. 

Energy and momentum are conserved in Newton's laws of gravitation.
Numerical integration of the equations of motion should comply to
these requirements in order to guarantee the correctness of a
solution, but this turns out to be insufficient.  The steady growth of
numerical errors and the exponential divergence, renders numerical
solutions over more than a dynamical time-scale meaningless.  Even
time reversibility is not a guarantee for finding the definitive
solution to the numerical few-body problem.  As a consequence,
numerical N-body simulations produce questionable results.  Using
brute force integrations to arbitrary numerical precision I will
demonstrate empirically that the statistics of an ensemble of resonant
3-body interactions is independent of the precision of the numerical
integration, and conclude that, although individual solutions using
common integration methods are unreliable, an ensemble of approximate
3-body solutions accurately represent the ensemble of true solutions.

Part 1 is about anomalies and how they can deform generalized global symmetry into 2-group global symmetry.  This is illustrated with simple QFT examples in 4d.  Part 2 is about 6d.

6d theories with 2-group symmetry exist, but cannot be conformal.  6d superconformal theories (SCFTs) cannot have 2-group or higher-form, generalized global symmetries.  This requires cancellation of mixed gauge and global terms in the anomaly polynomial.   SCFT relations between conformal and ’t Hooft anomalies will also be discussed.   Based on papers with Cordova and Dumitrescu.

New scalar bosons that are uncharged under the Standard Model have many phenomenological applications, and in particular may serve as mediators between the dark and visible sectors. Such scalars are often taken to have Higgs-like couplings to Standard Model fermions, in order to evade constraints from bounds on flavor-changing neutral currents.
We describe an alternative approach, based on an effective field theory approach in which a new scalar preferentially couples to a single fermion mass eigenstate. In such theories, we show through a spurion analysis that small flavor changing couplings are still technically natural. Examples of our framework include a muon-philic scalar that can explain the observed anomalous magnetic moment of the muon and an up-specific scalar mediator to a dark sector, whose phenomenologies we discuss in detail.

In this talk I will discuss several aspects of using the 21cm Intensity Mapping (IM) as a Large-Scale Structure (LSS) probe in order to better constrain the cosmological parameters. I will start with a Baryon Acoustic Oscillations (BAO) reconstruction method intended for 21cm IM observations at low redshifts. I will then present the predictions and gains of performing 21cm IM surveys at redshift range which is currently vastly unobserved (2<z<6). Finally I will show the results of using existing data (ALFALFA & SDSS) to place constraints on the distribution of neutral hydrogen (HI) in dark matter halos as a function of the halo mass. This is then used to constrain and improve the HI halo model needed to make accurate and precise predictions on the 21cm signal and the noise.

Bulk coherent states produced by Euclidean CFT sources can be used to study how geometry arises from entanglement: when these states obey the Ryu-Takayanagi formula, the linearized Einstein equations hold in the bulk without assuming the complete AdS/CFT correspondence.  However, the Faulkner-Lewkowycz-Maldacena bulk entanglement term that corrects the RT formula does not play a role in these previous studies, since to leading order coherent states have the same entanglement entropy as the vacuum.  We study states CFT states created by Euclidean, bilocal, double trace sources, which produce bulk squeezed states.  We consider possible modifications to RT and study divergences in the perturbative expansion that occur for certain choices of source.  We work towards determining constraints on the bulk geometry and state that arise from requiring FLM, akin to the linearized Einstein equations that arose for coherent states.