Quantum space-time and topological phases
Marc Geiller (Laboratoire de Physique, ENS de Lyon)
| When |
Oct 15, 2018
from 11:00 to 12:00 |
|---|---|
| Where | Amphi. Schrödinger |
| Attendees |
Marc Geiller |
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Quantum gravity, which refers to the tentative reconciliation of quantum theory with general relativity, is expected to shed light on the early instants of the Universe, on the physics of black holes, and perhaps on the nature of space-time itself. In this talk, I will present some recent results in a class of bottom-up approaches which attempt at building quantum space-time from fundamental ‘atoms’ of geometry. In particular, we will see how these theories can be interpreted as topological quantum field theories with defects, and how this established a bridge with techniques and concepts used for the study of topologically-ordered phases in condensed matter.