A research team experiments with an electrical circuit to explore the quantum properties of gravity, aiming to advance both theoretical physics and signal processing technology.
Scientists from the Cluster of Excellence ct.qmat have developed a method to model a central theory of quantum gravity in the laboratory. Their goal: to decipher previously unexplained phenomena in the quantum world.
Understanding Quantum Gravity: Bridging the Gap
Gravity is no longer a mystery to physicists – at least when it comes to large distances: thanks to science, we can calculate the orbits of planets, predict tides, and send rockets into space with precision. However, the theoretical description of gravity reaches its limits at the level of the smallest particles, the so-called quantum level.
“To explain the Big Bang or the interior of black holes, we have to understand the quantum properties of gravity,” explains Professor Johanna Erdmenger, Chair of Theoretical Physics III at the University of Würzburg (JMU) in Bavaria, Germany. “At very high energies, the classical laws of gravity fail. Therefore, our goal is to contribute to the development of new theories that can explain gravity at all scales, including at the quantum level.”
The Role of AdS/CFT Correspondence in Quantum Gravity
The “AdS/CFT correspondence,” a central theory of quantum gravity, plays an important role in the development of new models. It states that complex gravitational theories in a high-dimensional space can be described by simpler quantum theories at the boundary of that space.
[Explanation: “AdS” stands for “Anti-de-Sitter,” a special type of spacetime that is curved inward, like a hyperbola. “CFT“ stands for “conformal field theory,“ a theory that describes quantum physical systems whose properties are the same at all spatial distances.]
“This sounds very complicated at first, but it’s easy to explain,” says Erdmenger. “The AdS/CFT correspondence allows us to understand difficult gravitational processes, such as those that exist in the quantum world, using simpler mathematical models. At its heart is a curved spacetime, which can be thought of as a funnel. The correspondence states that the quantum dynamics at the edge of the funnel must correspond to the more complex dynamics inside – similary to a hologram on a banknote, which generates a three-dimensional image even though it is only two-dimensional itself.”
Experimental Approaches to Quantum Gravity
Together with her team, Erdmenger has now developed a method to experimentally test the predictions of the previously unconfirmed AdS/CFT correspondence: a branched electrical circuit is used to mimic curved space-time – the electrical signals at the individual branch points of the circuit correspond to the gravitational dynamics that would be found at different points in space-time. The theoretical calculations of the research team show that in the proposed circuit, the dynamics at the edge of the mimicked spacetime also correspond to those inside – and thus a central prediction of the AdS/CFT correspondence can be realized by the circuit.
Advancing Technology Through Quantum Experiments
As a next step, the Würzburg research team now plans to put the experimental setup described in the study into practice. In addition to significant advances in gravitational research, this could also lead to technical innovations. “Our circuits also open up new technological applications,” explains Erdmenger. “Based on quantum technology, they are expected to transmit electrical signals with reduced loss, since the simulated curvature of space bundles and stabilizes the signals. This would be a breakthrough for signal transmission in neural networks used for artificial intelligence, for example.”
The University of Alberta, Canada, the Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems in Dresden, Germany, the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, USA, and the Chair of Theoretical Physics I at the University of Würzburg, Germany, were involved as collaborating partners in the international study. Financial support was provided by the Würzburg-Dresden Cluster of Excellence “ct.qmat – Complexity and Topology in Quantum Materials.”
Reference: “Simulating Holographic Conformal Field Theories on Hyperbolic Lattices” by Santanu Dey, Anffany Chen, Pablo Basteiro, Alexander Fritzsche, Martin Greiter, Matthias Kaminski, Patrick M. Lenggenhager, René Meyer, Riccardo Sorbello, Alexander Stegmaier, Ronny Thomale, Johanna Erdmenger and Igor Boettcher, 9 August 2024, Physical Review Letters.
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.133.061603
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4 Comments
It states that complex gravitational theories in a high-dimensional space can be described by simpler quantum theories at the boundary of that space.
VERY GOOD.
Ask the researchers to think deeply:
1. Do you understand the physical reality of quantum physics?
2. Do topological vortices have gravitation?
Scientific research guided by correct theories can help humanity avoid detours, failures, and pomposity. Please witness the exemplary collaboration between theoretical physicists and experimentalists ( https://scitechdaily.com/microscope-spacecrafts-most-precise-test-of-key-component-of-the-theory-of-general-relativity/#comment-854286 ).
My ruthless repetition may make some people unhappy, but in order to fight against rampant pseudoscience, I can only do so.
Absolute symmetry is mainly manifested between topological vortices and their antivortices, and is difficult to manifest in the high-dimensional spacetime formed by their interactions. Any observable particle in scientific experiments cannot be one-dimensional or two-dimensional, but via them we can explore the trajectories of one-dimensional or two-dimensional spacetime. One dimensional and two-dimensional spacetime are important links do the mathematical probabilities give over to physical reality, which are also one of the reasons why mathematics can become a scientific language. To deny the scientificity of low dimensional spacetime matter (such as geometric shapes, topological vortices, etc.) is to deny the value of mathematics to science.
Topological vortex research reflections on the philosophy and methodology of science help us understand the nature essence of science and the limitations of scientific methods. This not only has guiding significance for scientific research itself, but also has important implications for science education and popularization. Physics should not abandon the scientific nature of two-dimensional matter described by mathematics and indulge in imagination.
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