Probes of cosmic inflation: from the CMB to quantum systems

Polarization anisotropies of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) encode a wealth of information on fundamental physics. In the coming decade, a new generation of instruments starting with the Simons Observatory (SO) will either detect or tightly constrain the amplitude of B-mode patterns produced by inflationary gravitational waves. The first part of my talk will focus on techniques developed to mitigate secondary B-modes induced by Galactic foregrounds and weak gravitational lensing, in order to extract the primordial signal with optimal precision. I will present resulting performance forecasts for SO, as well as initial efforts to apply these methods to the new data currently being collected.

 

At the other end of the scale, complementary approaches based on numerical simulations and cold-atom analogue experiments are emerging as a way of probing early-Universe quantum dynamics in real time. The second part of my talk will introduce ongoing work on lattice simulations of false vacuum decay, aiming to understand their range of validity by investigating renormalization effects. Finally, I will outline future avenues for combining cosmological and quantum probes of inflation, exploiting the deep connection between the smallest and largest scales to gain a new perspective on the early Universe.