Holography beyond the supergravity approximation and heat-kernel methods

• Applicant: Dr. Lorenzo Casarin
• Subject Area: Nuclear and Elementary Particle Physics, Quantum Mechanics, Relativity, Fields
• Term: since 2025
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 563118678

Our understanding of the physical world rests on two pillars: Quantum Field Theory, which explains the microscopic structure of matter, and General Relativity, which describes gravitational phenomena and almost all history of the Universe. Despite their spectacular predictive power, significant contradictions arise when bringing together the two principles. Indeed, the description of gravity in accordance with quantum principles, i.e.\ the formulation of a 'quantum gravity theory', remains a fundamental problem of modern physics. String/M-theory is a particularly promising approach, but it is so complex and multi-faceted that many aspects are still to be understood. String/M-theory suggests unexpected connections between different physical theories, as for example the 'holographic correspondence'. This is a conjectured duality between a quantum gravity theory and a standard quantum field theory without gravity in one less dimension. This duality allows one to study complex aspects of one of the theories via a simpler analysis in the dual theory. It is successfully used in the most diverse areas of physics and it became a cornerstone of contemporary physics. However, its details and area of validity are still unclear, because a precise comparison of the two sides of the correspondence is exceedingly difficult. My research project aims at understanding crucial aspects of the holographic correspondence with help of the most advanced results in quantum field theory. Recently, some properties of quantum field theories have been computed with previously unreachable precision. I will investigate and compare the dual aspects of the quantum gravitational theory. The holographic correspondence will thereby be deepened and analyzed in detail. This project will cast new light on quantum gravity and on the holographic correspondence, with direct application to String/M-theory, to the quantum physics of black holes and with potentially far-reaching consequences for our description of the Universe.

• DFG Programme: WBP Fellowship
• International Connection: Belgium
• Host: Professor Dr. Nikolay P. Bobev