Holographic Duality in Condensed Matter Physics

Jan Zaanen · Yan Liu · Ya-Wen Sun · Koenraad Schalm

Nov 2015 · Cambridge University Press

About this ebook

A pioneering treatise presenting how the new mathematical techniques of holographic duality unify seemingly unrelated fields of physics. This innovative development morphs quantum field theory, general relativity and the renormalisation group into a single computational framework and this book is the first to bring together a wide range of research in this rapidly developing field. Set within the context of condensed matter physics and using boxes highlighting the specific techniques required, it examines the holographic description of thermal properties of matter, Fermi liquids and superconductors, and hitherto unknown forms of macroscopically entangled quantum matter in terms of general relativity, stars and black holes. Showing that holographic duality can succeed where classic mathematical approaches fail, this text provides a thorough overview of this major breakthrough at the heart of modern physics. The inclusion of extensive introductory material using non-technical language and online Mathematica notebooks ensures the appeal to students and researchers alike.

About the author

Jan Zaanen is Professor of Theoretical Physics at Instituut-Lorentz for Theoretical Physics, Leiden University, the Netherlands where he specialises in the physics of strongly interacting electrons. He is a recipient of the Dutch Spinoza Award and fellow of the Dutch Royal Academy of Sciences and the American Physical Society.

Yan Liu is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Institute for Theoretical Physics at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, where he specialises in high energy theoretical physics including gauge/gravity duality, AdS/CMT, three-dimensional gravity and string phenomenology.

Ya-Wen Sun is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Institute for Theoretical Physics at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, where she works on applications of AdS/CFT to condensed matter theory, QCD and hydrodynamics as well as other aspects of quantum gravity.

Koenraad Schalm is Professor of Theoretical Physics at Instituut-Lorentz for Theoretical Physics, Leiden University, the Netherlands. His research focuses on how string theory may be detected in laboratory experiment or cosmological observations. He is the recipient of Innovative Research Incentives Awards of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research.