Quantum Gravity

The holographic principle, embodied most precisely in the AdS/CFT correspondence, provides our best current understanding of quantum gravity. We study how spacetime geometry and topology emerge from quantum chaotic correlations, and how black holes encode and process quantum information.

Quantum chaos also governs the spread of quantum entanglement and information. Our work explores these deep connections between chaos, gravity, and quantum information.

key questions

  • How does spacetime emerge from entanglement and/or chaotic correlations?
  • What is the quantum mechanical description of black hole interiors?
  • How can we understand cosmology holographically?
  • Can we quantum simulate black holes in the laboratory?

Key Publications

  • Approximate CFTs and Random Tensor Models

    A. Belin, J. de Boer, D. L. Jafferis, P. Nayak, J. Sonner

    arXiv:2308.03829 JHEP 09 (2024) 163 (2024)
  • JT gravity with matter, generalized ETH, and Random Matrices

    D. L. Jafferis, D. K. Kolchmeyer, B. Mukhametzhanov, J. Sonner

    arXiv:2209.02131 Phys. Rev. D 108, 066015 (2023)
  • Late time physics of holographic quantum chaos

    A. Altland, J. Sonner

    arXiv:2008.02271 SciPost Phys. 11, 034 (2021)
  • Black Hole Collapse in the 1/c Expansion

    T. Anous, T. Hartman, A. Rovai, J. Sonner

    arXiv:1603.04856 JHEP 07 (2016) 123 (2016)